Secretary of State shows support for Welsh firm’s COVID-19 response during virtual visit

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart has visited South Wales company Transcend Packaging to hear about how the company has responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company, based in Ystrad Mynach, usually specialises in providing sustainable packaging products to restaurants, but have since converted production lines and almost doubled the permanent workforce to 127 staff in just four months after switching part of its operations to create PPE.

During the visit, which was carried out using online video conferencing, Transcend Managing Director, Lorenzo Angelucci, showed Mr Hart how the company used its expertise in creating sustainable products to develop and produce protective face shields from reinforced paper boards and recyclable materials.

Transcend Packaging has now supplied more than 15 million face shields to the NHS, while more of their PPE products are being used worldwide by frontline health and social care staff.

Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart said:

Although this visit could only be undertaken virtually at the present time, it was fantastic to see the work that a Welsh business like Transcend has done to support the front line in the coronavirus pandemic in Wales and beyond.

Seeing their work shows that the people and businesses of Wales are capable of innovative solutions under incredible pressure and I thank him, Transcend, and their staff for everything they are doing at this incredibly challenging time.