Quinn Glass’s future in Elton looks secure after court hearing

Feb 9 2010 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

QUINN Glass has cleared another major hurdle in securing the future of its plant at Elton.

In November the 700-strong workforce celebrated after the Secretary of State decided planning permission for the Elton factory would stand without the need for a second public inquiry.

But rivals Ardagh, who are determined to close the factory, pinned its hopes on challenging the council’s decision to determine the application retrospectively, citing European law.

Ardagh has now lost its appeal on this aspect of the case and is rapidly running out of options.

Quinn Glass director Adrian Curry said: “We are delighted with the result of the Court of Appeal today. It was an experienced and robust court and I’m glad they had no difficulty getting it right.”

Ardagh Glass did not wish to comment.

The Quinn plant is one of the biggest in the world making 1.4bn bottles per annum with customers including Newcastle Brown, Strongbow and Shloer.

Its revolutionary feature is that it not only makes glass containers but also fills many of them on site.

In the past, Australian wine, for example, had to be imported along with the bottles it was in and the fresh air in between them.

Now the wine is put into a giant bladder within a shipping container and bottled at Elton, saving on transport costs and making the process more eco-friendly. Economies of scale, says Quinn, allow it to make bottles cheaper than its competitors.

So much so that one French beer company employs Quinn to manufacture small green stubby bottles rather than have them made in France.