An Ystrad Mynach based company, which has nearly doubled its permanent workforce in four months after switching part of its operations to create PPE, has secured more than £10m of funding to facilitate the growth of the business.

Transcend Packaging specialises in providing sustainable packaging products to restaurants including McDonalds and Starbucks.

Converting some of its production lines and assistance from Life Sciences Hub Wales has allowed the company to supply more than fifteen million protective face shields to the NHS and UK Department of Health and Social Care since April.

Insider Media reports the switch has helped to safeguard the jobs over seventy jobs as orders for the hospitality sector dropped during lockdown. Now, with orders for the industry picking back up, the company has initiated a recruitment drive, employing an additional fifty four permanent staff and thirty agency workers to meet global demand for both its packaging and PPE.

The news comes as Transcend has been awarded more than £10m of funding, led by IW Capital, which it will use to expand its range of paper based packaging to further reduce the quick serve industry’s dependence on single use plastics.

The company will continue to produce PPE long-term alongside its regular sustainable packaging products to support the country’s journey out of lockdown, by providing staff across a range of sectors with protective equipment.

Lorenzo Angelucci, chief executive at Transcend Packaging, said “The UK lockdown led to a significant drop in demand for our packaging so adapting our operations was critical to protecting the business. Since restaurants have reopened, orders have picked back up again, enabling us to return to producing products for the sector.

“Despite this, we plan on continuing to the manufacturing of face shields and coverings to help protect workers on the frontline and provide much needed protection to retail, hospitality and office staff as they return to their workplaces.”

Transcend is currently manufacturing more than a million face shields a week with the capacity to double this to two million as circumstances warrant. As well as supplying the products to various settings across the UK, its shields have also been distributed internationally across Europe, Japan and the US.

Transcend’s change in production came after the company contacted Life Sciences Hub Wales for guidance on the certification requirements its products would need to meet to be able to be offered to the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP).

Life Sciences Hub Wales, which has been appointed by Welsh Government to manage all initial enquiries and offers of support from businesses on behalf of NHS Wales, worked with Transcend to help it adapt its production line and ensure its face shields met all necessary standards, including crucial CE certification.

Cari-Anne Quinn, chief executive of Life Sciences Hub Wales, said “Across Wales, we have seen businesses working hard, adapting and innovating to offer their support in the national fight against Covid-19. Transcend is a primary example of this inspiring work and we are proud to have worked with them to help the company become certified to produce vital PPE.”