Goole toilet roll factory to create 400 new jobs, Finnish firm says

The new factory will have the capacity to create 240,000 tonnes of tissue paper

A Finnish toilet roll manufacturer is to build a new factory in East Yorkshire which it said would create more than 400 local jobs.

The "state-of-the-art" tissue paper mill in Goole will be the largest of its kind in the UK, Metsä Tissue said.

The firm said its "landmark investment" would "significantly" cut the amount of tissue products imported to the UK.

The prime minister called the move "good for Yorkshire, good for our economy and good for sustainability".

It plans to build the factory in phases over the next decade.

The company, which also makes paper towels and grease-proof paper, said the factory would create thousands of jobs in total across the supply chain and in construction.

When completed it will have a capacity to produce 240,000 tonnes of tissue paper using fresh wood fibres grown in Nordic forests, according to Metsä.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "This announcement is another example of the UK being the first choice for European investment and delivers on my commitment to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country."

'Vote of confidence'

Esa Kaikkonen, the firm's chief executive, said Goole was "the perfect location" for the mill.

"The Humber region provides a crucial gateway to the whole of the United Kingdom and the region's ambitions to bring cutting-edge green technology and jobs to the UK matches our ambitions in clean, sustainable manufacturing," he added.

The factory, which is subject to planning permission, would be located at a proposed new Goole site within the Humber Freeport, which allows companies to import goods tariff-free.

The move follows an agreement between Metsä Tissue and developer Wykeland Group, which has long-term development rights to the location.

Wykeland said it was "delighted to have secured a major international investor".

Lord Dominic Johnson, the UK government's investment minister, said the announcement was "a huge vote of confidence" in the region.

He added: "With hundreds of millions of pounds being committed, and thousands of jobs being created at both the new site and in the wider supply chain, this will have huge benefits for workers and businesses in Goole and many communities across East Riding, Yorkshire, Humberside and North Lincolnshire."