Aldar Tissue, Ireland’s largest household and commercial tissue paper manufacturer and part of the Zeus Group, has officially opened its new €15m (£12.5m) purpose-built manufacturing facility in Rathcoole, Dublin.
The circa-9,300sqm facility will see the workforce at Aldar Tissue double by 2026, creating 30 new full-time jobs.
Both Aldar Tissue and Zeus said they are committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, actively reducing carbon footprints by prioritising local manufacturing and sustainable raw materials.
Aldar Tissue was acquired by independent packaging manufacturer and distributor Zeus in 2019. It supplies major customers such as Musgrave, Lidl, Aldi, and Essential Supplies.
The new state-of-the-art Dublin plant features fully automated, high-speed production lines, robotic packing, and wrapping technologies. These innovations will enable Aldar Tissue to transition from a 24/5 to 24/7 operation by 2026, further increasing capacity.
Speaking at the facility’s opening today (24 October), Keith Ockenden, CEO of Zeus, said: “Our goal is to help our customers reduce their packaging usage and lower their carbon emissions by providing innovative products and services.
“By processing industrial production rolls into smaller, finished products on-site in Ireland, Aldar Tissue significantly reduces the need for long-distance transportation of raw materials, thereby cutting carbon emissions from shipping bulk materials from mainland Europe.
“This streamlined approach not only lowers our carbon footprint but also enhances supply chain efficiency, ensuring products are delivered to customers more sustainably and cost-effectively.”
He added: “Currently, 80% of the Irish tissue market is supplied from the UK and mainland Europe. This new facility increases our production capacity and will enable us to fulfil up to 40% of Ireland’s bathroom tissue and kitchen towel needs.
“This will allow us to meet the evolving demands of local markets while driving sustainability within the industry.”
Ockenden added the company has plans to further expand its production capacity by 2026.
“Our products adhere to the highest standards of performance, offering a real alternative to imports and supporting the Irish economy.
“Aldar Tissue’s investment aligns with Ireland’s broader sustainability goals, with the new production lines capable of using paper-based wrapping materials. At Aldar, we are not just producing tissue products; we are building a sustainable future for Ireland.”
The plant’s technology enables high-speed production of consumer and professional tissue products at a rate of 600m/min, or 200 packs per minute, offering more than 60 variations of kitchen towels and bathroom tissue.
Earlier this year Zeus Group acquired independent integrated corrugated manufacturer Weedon Group, which took its expected annualised revenues to €560m (£466m).
This followed the acquisitive group’s purchases last year of Italian paper and board convertor Cima Paper, Northern Irish print and packaging business James Hamilton Group, and Polpack in Poland.
It had acquired Swanline Group and its sister company BoxMart, as well as Canadian agricultural supply business Agri-Flex, in 2022.
Zeus now employs 1,370 people with a presence in 38 countries worldwide.
