Northern food packaging firm launches PPE division after creating 100 new jobs

A packaging manufacturer with bases in Yorkshire and the North East has launched a new health division after securing a government contract to supply PPE to frontline workers.

PFF Group, which has premises in Keighley and Washington, has established PFF Health following its appointment by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to manufacture disposable polythene aprons for frontline NHS staff and social care workers.

The firm specialises in packaging solutions for supermarkets, multinational food manufacturers, food service and fresh produce companies, but has pivoted into the PPE market since the beginning of the pandemic.

The contract from the DHSC has seen the company create 100 new jobs and invest more than £2m in custom-built machines.

PPF Group managing director, Kenton Robbins, commented: “Prior to the pandemic, 90 per cent of PPE was imported from China with buying based on price.

“With supply routes from China closing and huge demand, not just from the UK but many other countries hit by similar shortages, the country was desperately short of supplies. As a result, the UK needed to establish a resilient and reliable supply in record time.

He continued: “As we were already in discussions with the DHSC about using our capability in plastics packaging to move into health-related products, we were delighted to quickly answer the call from government for help to produce PPE here in the UK.

“Our new healthcare division will build on this expertise to move into other areas of healthcare production from our manufacturing bases in the UK.”