Sarah Atherton MP welcomes Business Secretary to Wrexham

06/08/20

Sarah Atherton MP has welcomed the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, on a tour of Silvergate, to see first-hand the contribution they’ve made during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Silvergate Plastics, based on Wrexham Industrial Estate, has been operating around the clock throughout the pandemic, supporting plastic manufacturers producing medical device equipment and packaging for personal care and cleaning goods.

Wrexham’s MP, Sarah Atherton, said:

“I was pleased to welcome the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a tour of the Silvergate Factory in Wrexham.

“He and I were very impressed by the work that Silvergate has been doing during this pandemic, and it was a pleasure to be able to speak the employees to hear about their experiences of working throughout this challenging time.”

Managing Director, Sandy Bergeson, said:

“At the very outset of this crisis, it was clear that the plastics industry would be called upon to assist in the production of medical equipment and the orders coming in from
this sector are off the scale. 

“We have also seen a significant spike in orders coming in from manufacturers of hand sanitising bottles, disinfectant bottles and such like. Whilst this situation is
completely unprecedented, we are continuing to work closely with all our customers to ensure we can provide the materials they need to overcome nationwide shortages. 
“Fortunately, our operating practices have been designed to enable us to respond rapidly to unexpected changes in the marketplace, so we were ready to step up to the
needs of this critical situation”

Wrexham’s MP and the Business Secretary went on a tour of the factory, led by Silvergate’s Managing Director who gave an overview of the production process.

Following the tour, they took the opportunity to discuss the United Kingdom Internal Market and the future trading opportunities for the UK.

Commenting on the discussion, Sarah Atherton, said:

“I know the Business Secretary has taken a keen interest in Wrexham with its trading capacity across the border.

“Silvergate has traded throughout this pandemic and has supported the manufacturing of medical equipment. I was especially pleased to be able to discuss with them and the Secretary of State about the future trading opportunities for businesses within the UK after the transition period has ended.”

Commenting on the visit, Alok Sharma said:

“It was good to meet the Silvergate team with Sarah and see how they’ve been supporting the production of healthcare equipment and materials during COVID, supplying manufacturers in all corners of the UK. 

“Silvergate relies on being able to trade seamlessly across all home nations and so it was great to hear their support for the Government’s proposals to safeguard the UK
Internal Market at the end of the Transition Period. These proposals will ensure we protect jobs and livelihoods as we recover from coronavirus, in Wrexham and right
across Wales.”

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