ULMA Packaging opens a new plant for its traysealing activity in Goribar (Oñati)

The Guipuzcoan cooperative ULMA Packaging, belonging to the ULMA group, has moved the manufacturing activity of the traysealing machines to a recently opened plant in the Goribar neighbourhood in Oñati (Gipuzkoa). The facility has 5,000 m² spread over two floors -of which 4,000 m² are dedicated to production and the rest offices- and can be expanded in future to incorporate an adjoining 4,000 m².

This new production plant, which has required an investment of five million euros, meets the growth needs of the traysealing activity, which has quadrupled its sales in the last four years and has sought to provide space for the new product range focused on the custom assembly of traysealers. The rapid growth of this activity has also resulted in a significant increase in the size of the human team of this business area. In recent years, traysealing related jobs have tripled, going from 30 to more than 100 people, spread throughout the proposals department, the technical office for the design of machines, the purchasing and reception of materials division and the machine assembly, shipping and service departments. This growth has also helped to indirectly create new jobs in local supplier companies.

In short, the ULMA Packaging plant in Garibai (Oñati), just a few metres from the new facility, and which housed until recently the flowpack, thermoforming and traysealing activities, had become too small due to the significant growth of these three business areas in recent years. The strategy of promoting the traysealing activity, providing resources dedicated to the development of new products and machines, has been very well received in the market, which has meant strong growth in terms of sales and has generated the need for new production spaces.

The new plant offers a production capacity of approximately 400 machines per year, with the option of being able to expand the facility in future thanks to an annex building that has already been acquired and which would double the current capacity. Lean assembly lines for the production of traysealing machines have been installed in the production area, based on a management model focused on the creation of a production flow that offers maximum value to customers, using the minimum resources necessary. A small auxiliary boiler and maintenance workshop has also been added. All of this has been achieved by applying the most innovative technologies in terms of sustainability and energy consumption, resulting in an energy-efficient plant. Construction and transfer were completed in a record time of less than one year.

This new facility has provided a solution to the growth in the traysealing activity and made it possible to increase the production capacity, taking into account any future expansions required. It also provides space for the growth of the flowpack and thermoforming activities at the Garibai plant, which has offered a global solution to the problem of space and represents a competitive improvement for ULMA Packaging's entire business.