Zidac Laboratories, a manufacturer of personal care products, is investing £5 million into expanding its facilities and the creation of up to 80 new positions at its Portsmouth factory.
The investment follows increased demand for Zidac’s antibacterial and sanitising products during the Covid-19 outbreak, and will expand the factory’s capacity to produce 15 times more volume – equating to 50 million litres a year.
The business is also deploying an extensive programme of support to the NHS and other key sectors during the Covid-19 outbreak, and has pledged to donate £1 million of antibacterial products to organisations in need.
Roles created to support Zidac’s expansion include chemical and mechanical engineers, production line operatives, financial controllers, administration and quality control personnel, as well as Research & Development (R&D) staff to create new and innovative products for the disinfection and personal care markets.
Luigi Jurica Weissbarth, Managing Director at Zidac Laboratories, said: “The Covid-19 outbreak has caused demand for our products to surge, with the World Health Organisation forecasting 35 billion litres of sanitiser will be needed globally for 2020 – ten times more than what was produced globally before the pandemic.
“This investment is essential for us to keep supplying high quantities of vital, hospital-grade hand sanitiser and help meet this essential demand, particularly as businesses start bringing staff back into the workplace.
“In a challenging economic climate, we’re glad we can provide opportunities for new, skilled jobs in Portsmouth. With this expansion, we’ll be able to increase our capacity to support through the pandemic and beyond, innovate to create new products and continue our donations programme to those that need it most.”
Zidac Laboratories was first established in 2017 as a manufacturer of personal care products, and has since experienced high growth year-on-year. This can not only be attributed to Covid-19, but also through its role as a major manufacturer of antibacterial and sanitising products to to leading retailers and pharmaceutical groups including Superdrug, Lidl, Tesco and Phoenix Group.
For more information on the roles on offer at Zidac Laboratories, please email: careers@zidac.co.uk