Pandemic demand spurs Zidac’s £5million expansion and 80 new jobs
9 Jun 2020
Manufacturer Zidac Laboratories is to invest £5 million on expanding its Portsmouth facilities, creating up to 80 new positions.
Increased demand for its antibacterial products since the Covid-19 outbreak spurred the investment. Zidac will expand the factory’s capacity to produce 15 times more volume – equating to 50 million litres a year.
The planned new roles include chemical and mechanical engineers, production line operatives, financial controllers, administration quality control as well as research & development staff.
Managing director Luigi Jurica Weissbarth, 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.
“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.”
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-worth of antibacterial products to organisations in need.
Established in 2017, Zidac has since experienced high growth year-on-year. It is a major manufacturer of antibacterial and sanitising products to to leading retailers and pharmaceutical groups including Superdrug, Lidl, Tesco and Phoenix Group.
