Guala Closures opens new plant in Scotland with over €60 million investment made
Guala Closures, a global leader in premium and innovative closure solutions, has officially inaugurated its new state-of-the-art production facility in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire.
With its investment made exceeding €60 million, Guala Closures brings its long-term commitment to advancing innovation and sustainability to the region. The facility spans approximately 20,000 sqm and is expected to employ over 300 skilled professionals, reinforcing the company’s industrial presence in the UK, while contributing positively to the local economy.
Strategically located in the heart of Scotland’s renowned whisky region, the Gartcosh facility is uniquely positioned to serve both major global brands and smaller producers. With over 100 distilleries already being supplied from this site, Guala Closures is now even more integrated into one of the UK’s most iconic and economically important industries – an industry which generated nearly €7.9 billion in total value in 2024, including €6.2 billion in exports. Guala Closures’ increased proximity to the industry will serve to assist its role in maintaining the quality, heritage, and global reputation of Scotch whisky.
Guala Closures was acquired in 2021 by an independently managed investment subsidiary of Investindustrial VII L.P., a leading independent European investment and advisory group. Current and past investments by Investindustrial in the United Kingdom include Morgan Motor Company, Oka, Avincis, and Mountain Warehouse. Outside of the UK, other notable current and historic investments include Ducati, PortAventura, and Zegna.
Guala Closures’ investment is one of the largest made by an Italian business in the UK and includes a grant of over €3.5 million from Scottish Enterprise, which also sold the land at Gartcosh Business Interchange to Guala for the development, underlining the significance of the project at both a national and international level.
The ceremony, held yesterday, brought together an esteemed group of attendees including Ivan McKee, Scottish Minister for Public Finance, Veronica Ferrucci, Consul General of Italy in Edinburgh, Umberto Bernardo, Head of the Economic Office of the Embassy of Italy to the UK, and Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Enterprise, as well as customers and representatives from local institutions, hosted by Gabriele Del Torchio and Andrea Lodetti, Chairman and CEO of Guala Closures respectively.
The new facility incorporates cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, including Electro Magnetic Forming (EMF) – an innovative process whose application was entirely developed and patented by Guala Closures – along with robotic systems and flexible automation. These solutions enable the creation of unique and distinctive details, including tamper-evident seals, offering customers strong brand differentiation, enhanced product safety, and improved bottling efficiency.
Sustainability has been a core focus of the project from the outset. The plant features 2.4 MW of solar panels installed on its rooftop and advanced insulation and airtightness to optimise energy performance. The site also includes a symphonic drainage system with sustainable urban drainage (SUDS) and attenuation tanks beneath the car park, ensuring responsible water management. Internally, the plant layout has been designed to minimise material movement and forklift traffic, while all lighting – both indoor and outdoor – is energy-efficient LED, with motion sensors and timers in low-traffic areas.
In addition to manufacturing, the Gartcosh site hosts a specialised R&D hub focused on high-end closures. The UK team brings deep expertise in recycled and specialty polymers and works closely with premium spirits brands on bespoke product development. This local innovation capability plays a crucial role in helping clients remain competitive in a market increasingly driven by quality, design, and sustainability.
With 37 production sites and 7 R&D centres worldwide, the Gartcosh facility further strengthens Guala Closures’ global industrial footprint, reinforcing its mission to transform market needs into innovative, high-performing, sustainable, and design-driven solutions.
“The opening of our Gartcosh facility is more than just an inauguration – it’s a bold statement of our vision for the future,” said Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Guala Closures. “With this investment, we are strengthening our roots in a region that is globally iconic, reinforcing our commitment to the Scotch whisky industry, and setting a new benchmark in sustainable, high-performance packaging. The facility is designed for maximum efficiency and scalability, allowing us to optimise operations and create tangible value, both for our customers and for our business.”
“Guala Closures’ new €60 million plus investment shows real confidence in Scotland as a place for business and innovation, further highlighting Scotland’s position as a key inward investment destination among global investors”, Ivan McKee, Scottish Minister for Public Finance said. “The company is critical to the whisky industry here in Scotland. This site alone supports more than 300 high quality jobs and is at the centre of the wider regeneration of the Gartcosh area.”
“The opening of Guala Closures’ impressive new facility is the latest high-profile example of a leading global manufacturer making a significant strategic capital investment in its Scottish operations,” said Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise. “The company’s adoption of pioneering technologies, leading to increases in productivity and sustainability, represents a clear commitment to innovating in Scotland and aligns strongly with our missions-based approach to transforming the country’s economy.”