Guala Closures, a global leader in premium and innovative closure solutions, has officially inaugurated its new state-of-the-art production facility in Gartcosh, Scotland.
The ceremony, held yesterday, welcomed distinguished guests including Ivan McKee, Scottish Minister for Public Finance, Veronica Ferrucci, Consul General of Italy in Edinburgh, Umberto Bernardo, Head of the Economic Office at the Embassy of Italy in the UK, and Adrian Gillespie, CEO of Scottish Enterprise. They were hosted by Gabriele Del Torchio, Chairman of Guala Closures, and Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Guala Closures, alongside customers and representatives from local institutions.
With an investment exceeding 60 million euros, this milestone marks the completion of a strategic project launched in November 2022 and concluded in April 2025, confirming Guala Closures’ long-term commitment to innovation, sustainability, and proximity to key markets.
The facility spans approximately 20,000 square metres and will employ over 300 professionals, strengthening the company’s industrial presence in the UK and contributing to the local economy.
This investment represents one of the most significant ever made by an Italian company in the United Kingdom and includes a contribution of more than 3.5 million euros from Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government’s economic development agency - a partnership that highlights the project's importance at both national and international levels.
Strategically located in the heart of Scotland’s renowned whisky region, the Gartcosh plant is ideally positioned to serve both global brands and small-scale producers. With over 100 distilleries already supplied from this site, Guala Closures is now even more deeply embedded in one of the UK’s most iconic and economically significant sectors, which in 2024 generated a total value of nearly 7.9 billion euros, including 6.2 billion euros from exports alone.
The new facility incorporates cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, including Electro Magnetic Forming - an innovative process entirely developed and patented by Guala Closures - as well as advanced robotic and flexible automation systems. These technologies enable the creation of unique and distinctive details, including tamper-evident seals, offering enhanced brand differentiation, product security, and improved bottling efficiency for customers.
Sustainability has been a central focus from the very beginning of the project. The facility features a 2.4 MW rooftop solar panel installation, alongside advanced insulation and optimised airtightness to boost energy performance. A sustainable urban drainage system has also been implemented, with syphonic drainage, attenuation tanks, and innovative drainage infrastructure located beneath the car park to ensure responsible water management.
Inside, the site layout has been carefully designed to minimise material movement and forklift traffic, while the entire facility uses low-consumption LED lighting, equipped with motion sensors and timers in low-traffic areas.
In addition to production, the Gartcosh site also hosts a dedicated R&D centre focused on high-end closures.
With 37 manufacturing sites and 7 R&D centres worldwide, the new Gartcosh facility further strengthens Guala Closures’ global industrial footprint, reinforcing the company’s mission to transform market needs into innovative, high-performance, sustainable and design-oriented solutions.
