Whisky industry supplier Guala Closures invests £52m in new Scottish plant to house 300 workers
“The investment is one of the largest made by an Italian business in the UK” – Adrian Gillespie, Scottish Enterprise
A key supplier to Scotland’s whisky industry has officially opened a new “state-of-the-art” Lanarkshire plant that will house more than 300 workers.
Guala Closures’ Gartcosh factory follows investment of more than €60 million (£52m) - one of the largest contributions ever made by an Italian company in the UK. That backing includes a £3m-plus grant from Scottish Enterprise, unveiled in 2022.
That announcement three years ago helped safeguard the jobs of hundreds of employees based at sites in Bridge of Allan and Kirkintilloch, who were merged at the new facility.
Guala, which is headquartered in Italy, is the only manufacturer of closures to the whisky industry in Scotland and produces bottle pouring mechanisms for customers including Diageo, Chivas and Edrington.
The firm’s new centralised facility spans some 20,000 square metres and is expected to employ more than 300 “skilled professionals”. The plant features 2.4 megawatts of solar panels installed on its roof.
Andrea Lodetti, chief executive of Guala Closures, said: “The opening of our Gartcosh facility is more than just an inauguration - it’s a bold statement of our vision for the future. 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.”
Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said: “The investment is one of the largest made by an Italian business in the UK. It includes over €3.5m in grant from Scottish Enterprise, which approved the sale of land at Gartcosh Business Interchange to Guala for the development, underlining the significance of the project at both a national and international level.”
Scottish minister for public finance Ivan McKee added: “Guala Closures’ new €60m-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.
“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.”
Guala Closures Group has 37 production facilities and a presence in more than 100 countries. It is seen as a global leader in closures for spirits, wines, beer, non-alcoholic beverages, edible oil and condiments.
In 2024, the group recorded more than €830m in revenue, powered by some 5,000 employees, seven research and development centres and 200-plus patents.
Guala Closures was acquired in 2021 by an independently managed investment subsidiary of Investindustrial, the European investment and advisory group. Current and past investments by Investindustrial in the UK include Morgan Motor Company, Oka, Avincis and Mountain Warehouse. Outside of the UK, other notable current and historic investments include Ducati, PortAventura and Zegna.
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