Alpha Solway has launched a new manufacturing facility following a £4.8m investment.
The PPE manufacturer received backing from South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), enabling it to create its own raw materials on-site and deliver new jobs.
The company has now started production of meltblown polypropylene, the virus filtering material used in its FFP2 and IIR facemasks, at a newly-built factory in Dumfries.
The onshore production of this filter layer should create a more resilient supply chain from and for parent company Globus Group’s multiple sites across Britain and Europe.
It is the latest initiative under a strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2027, which includes a commitment to 75% UK manufacturing.
Alpha Solway launched the new £12m factory in just 10 months after it was awarded a multi-million-pound public/private investment partnership with SOSE.
The company started work on the factory last summer and has created more than 300 new positions at Gilnockie Business Park.
The facility is part of a £33m investment from Globus Group into the region.
Alpha Solway director Steven Binnie said: "Our customers continue to need a fast, resilient supply of PPE and launching this new facility is an important next step in our strategy to accelerate the access to vital products.
“We’re focussed on constantly improving and evolving our manufacturing processes by launching pioneering products and services and the opening of this new factory is a key step in enabling our ongoing sustainability strategy.”
Professor Russel Grigg, chair of SOSE, said: “We are delighted that Alpha Solway have been able to launch their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dumfries.
“It is great to see that our funding has been so effective in helping the organisation grow the number of employment opportunities available in the region significantly.”
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