A PACKAGING company that employs 850 people has quashed rumours it is leaving Swindon.

The completion of its new £33m million European headquarters in Dundalk, Ireland sparked rumours that the group may be moving it HQ elsewhere but the company intends to stay here.

But the firm is moving within Swindon. It is moving a technical division that designs and manufactures commercial tooling from Blagrove to the Groundwell Industrial Estate in October.

The Adver understands that the group will then transfer all the work from two buildings it currently leases in Europa Park to the same premises in Groundwell in summer 2020.

The leases for all three buildings are coming to an end and Wasdell will not renew them. The move is not expected to affect any jobs at the group.

Wasdell has just bought Northampton manufacturer Honeywood Limited to boost and expand its manufacturing capacity in the UK.

It says this will help support its growing list of clients and meet rising demand around the globe for outsourced pharmaceutical services.

Chairman Martin Tedham said: “We are delighted that Honeywood has become part of the Wasdell Group.

“Honeywood is an excellent fit with Wasdell’s operations.

"It will allow us to instantly increase capacity beyond our existing Newcastle upon Tyne facility to meet customer demand.

“This acquisition adds capacity to our manufacturing capability here in the UK and will enable us to support our growing number of clients in the US, which already work closely with Wasdell to secure a fully outsourced supply chain for their products within Europe.”

The group hopes to build a massive new warehousing and distribution centre and a so-called ‘science park’ with facilities for research and development for high tech companies near Wanborough.

The multi-million pound company is Europe’s largest independent specialist manufacturing partner to the pharmaceutical and nutritional industries.