New Manufacturing Facility to be Completed by Summer 2020

In September 2019 we announced plans for the opening of an additional manufacturing facility in the UK, it’s been a busy six months for us and we’re excited to update you on the progress of the new building at the Futures Business Park Development in Rossendale.

As with all complex builds, the path to completion has not been a smooth one but we are pleased with the progress we have made and are on target for the facility to be in operation by late summer 2020.

Overcoming challenges of a complex build

As this is not your normal build and there are many complex factors that need to be considered there have been some challenges for us to overcome. One of the biggest challenges we have faced is the size of the hydraulic press and how it will be placed in the building.

The press which is being manufactured in Slovenia weighs 277,300 KGs and will be delivered to us here in Rossendale on 14 articulated vehicles and re-built onsite. Business Development Director at Orthoplastics, Neil Anderton has been overseeing the development and recently visited Slovenia to approve the thermal press for compression moulded sheet material.



Given the size of the press, it will sit in a pit that is the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The planning around this has led to much collaboration between Orthoplastics, our architects and contractors to help us not only overcome immediate challenges but to also foresee future issues and future-proof the building.

A two-phase approach

The building works are being carried out over two stages. The partial completion of the building is on schedule to be complete for the end of February. Once this first stage is complete the press will be delivered from Slovenia and sited in March/April, allowing for the final stage of building to be completed by the end of June.



Following the successful completion of the building, the facility will be ready to begin manufacturing from August and will enable Orthoplastics to further increase its market capabilities with over £5 million of investment annually.

Mark Allen, Managing Director, Orthoplastics said: “This significant investment underlines our belief that there is huge potential for innovation and growth within the Orthopaedic sector. It is also the next step towards achieving our ambition of pioneering improved patient outcomes and the longevity of implantable medical devices.”