Gutenberg will be investing in a new factory in Bulebel with a €7 million investment.

This was announced during a visit by Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri at the same factory where the detailed plans were presented by Gutenberg, a Maltese company with a 40-year history of operating in the printing solutions market and has now passed into the second generation of leadership.

“Your expansion investment in a new factory in Bulebel that will be made with government support through INDIS Malta will put this company in a better position to be better prepared for economic growth and job creation”, said Minister Schembri.

He explained that the investment that includes the construction site and new state-of-the-range machinery is a mirror for the future in such a manner that that company does not only see the expansion aspect, because the current building has reached its maximum capacity, but discussions are ongoing to ensure that the machinery is state-of-the-art, the most modern in the market, which works efficiently and even embraces elements of a circular economy that continues to diversify the operational services of the company.

‘This is something we will encourage among our businesses, the diversification of operations as well as the merger between digital and innovative methods in terms of future adaptation as it requires to come out strongly for economic recovery”, said Minister Schembri.

He commended the company’s adaptation which seized the opportunity to use its machinery and produced visors during the pandemic, found government support to safeguard jobs through the COVID Wage Supplement and sought to strengthen its expansion plans as well as against the backdrop of changes in the international landscape continued with its efforts to expand and explore new markets.

‘We will keep looking beyond our shores. And here, through Trade Malta, we are working to explore new markets of export interest to see businesses diversify their operations and export to markets other than European ones including that of North Africa, Ghana among others”, said Minister Schembri.

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri / DOI Photo

Gutenberg Director, Boleslav Spiteri said Gutenberg’s plans to develop the Bulebel site to meet the needs of a modern packaging facility would allow the company to operate and compete in an ever-complex and competitive market.

“Such projects require more space especially because work is bulky and requires a substantial amount of space. The investment is estimated to be over €7 million, split between the construction of the site and new machinery.

"From studies, indications show that the printed cardboard sector is forecast to continue to grow as consumer behaviour moves closer to greener and sustainable packaging. Gutenberg is studying particular projects related to the circular economy and recycling that gives waste other life and is not simply landfilled. This government-backed investment should put Gutenberg ready for the next round of economic growth expected after the current challenging scenario,” Mr Spiteri said.

The chairperson, Jean Pierre Attard, said that INDIS Malta will continue to fully support this development, all the more so because it is a clear example of the direction to be taken in developing new industrial infrastructure in the coming years.

“We want to better exploit the space we have. Driven by our strategic goals, INDIS Malta wants to create the industrial space the country needs in order for the economy to continue to grow and thus create more wealth and more job opportunities, but at the same time we must be increasingly sustainable and reduce as much as possible our environmental impact.”