Jobs boost for region as production of cream is moved from Ireland to Huddersfield

The company acquired the Oilatum brand in June 2019 from GlaxoSmithSKline (GSK) and has invested around £2 million in the project to transfer production from the GSK Sligo plant in Ireland to Huddersfield.

Annual global sales of Oilatum are expected to reach around £30 million in 2020.

Mark Kirkup, vice-president of UK operations at Thornton & Ross, said: “When T&R acquired the Oilatum brand, it was our intention to move production to Yorkshire as quickly as possible and I am delighted that we have successfully completed the project on schedule.

“At a time when other companies may look to rein in expenditure, investment from our parent company, STADA, is allowing us to bring in high-speed, automated production lines so that, as our volumes grow, we can leverage our fixed costs and be ever more efficient. At the same time, we’re relentlessly focused on driving a continuous improvements culture, striving for operational excellence to make everything we do more efficient.”

T&R, founded in Huddersfield in 1922, develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of branded over-the-counter medicines and other healthcare and hygiene products. In 2013 it became part of the German-based STADA group.

T&R has achieved recent success through household disinfectant Zoflora which recorded significant growth in 2019.

As a result, the factory opened a second high-speed production line at the start of the year, which will allow increased output by 100 per cent to 18,000 bottles an hour.

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