Roberts Mart invests 2.5m in equipment

Roberts Mart, the shrink wrap, laminated film and printed flexible packaging manufacturer, has invested 2.5m in equipment and taken on 16 new staff over the past year.

The Leeds-based, 147 employee company has invested in an F&K 20SIX Central Impression Flexo Printing Press for its Aire Valley factory and a three-layer co-extrusion line for its sister business Romar Packaging.

The company hopes that the new press will increase its annual production by 30m linear meters a year and that the new extruder will increase production of coextruded low density blown polythene film by 1,600 tonnes a year.

Roberts Mart said the increase in production could mean the creation of 25 new jobs, in 2013. These would include press and lamination operators and warehouse personnel.

Sales director Ben Roberts said: "To meet the challenges ahead we are committed to building a team with a diverse range of skill sets."

The company has clients in the food and drink, home textiles and paper products industries and it hopes the new press will allow it to break into new markets

Roberts Mart’s latest spending has brought its total capex to just over £15.5m since 2004.

Roberts said: "This significant new outlay we are making on capital equipment underlines our confidence in developing our existing and new markets."