A PLASTIC products manufacturer has teamed up with Elland-based energy advice company Orchard Energy to increase efficiency across its entire European operations.
Constar, with its UK headquarters at Sherburn-in-Elmet, is one of the largest manufacturers of plastic bottles in Europe and the USA.
Purchasing manager Graham Hall said Constar had worked with Orchard for a number of years.
It has now sealed a three-year deal for Orchard to negotiate with European suppliers for its manufacturing operations on the continent.
“We may be a big player in the soft drinks sector, but ours is a tough industry with tight margins and efficiency in all areas is vital,” said Mr Hall.
“Raw materials make up 82% of the cost of each container and with an annual energy spend in the UK alone of £3.6m we can’t afford to make mistakes when buying electricity.
“We rely on specialist advice, not only to tell us when to buy and at what price but to help us plan our budgets over the year and forecast business growth, providing us with detailed consumption and demand data that allows us to make accurate projections for the months ahead.”
Constar began manufacturing plastic bottles in 1963 as Sewell Plastics and introduced the first two litre drinks bottle to the market in 1977.
The Yorkshire plant makes bottles for major brands including Cott Beverages, Britvic, CCE and Coors.
Gareth Henderson, managing director of Elland-based Orchard Energy, said energy purchasing strategies in the UK and Europe had brought significant savings for the manufacturer, added that negotiating with suppliers on other costs associated with energy contracts had also played a key role in cutting costs.
