A new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant has opened inside the former home of a Swindon Honda facility.

Strandfoam has transformed and moved into the old Honda Logistics building in South Marston Industrial Estate after the company's boss John Laurie bought the site on September 30 2021 and started recruiting some of the previous staff.

Swindon Advertiser: The old Honda Logistics site has been transformed into a new manufacturing plantThe old Honda Logistics site has been transformed into a new manufacturing plant (Image: Newsquest)

His father founded the business in South Africa in 1968.

He picked Swindon as the ideal place to set up its first UK plant due to the town's location, affordability, and history with manufacturing.

He said: "There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this but we've had good fun as well in the process.

"The concept for this place started at the height of Covid. My son Philip and I had a conversation about when we should spread our wings and start something in Europe.

Swindon Advertiser: 13 50,000-litre tanks full of chemicals stand in a specially-dug pit in Strandfoam's factory13 50,000-litre tanks full of chemicals stand in a specially-dug pit in Strandfoam's factory (Image: Newsquest)

"Finding the right facility was a hard task and Covid delays made it take longer for the building to be modified and machines to arrive but we got there in the end.

"I'm very proud of everyone who helped make this dream a reality. Thank you."

Strandfoam makes the flexible polyurethane foam found in sofas, beds, hospital mattresses, and other products.Swindon Advertiser:

Thanks to a sizeable investment, part of its newest base of operations on Hunts Rise has been demolished, rebuilt and extended.

The first spades went into the ground in April 2022 and the machines started up for the first time in November.

A pit had to be dug to fit the 13 50,000-litre tanks full of chemicals that stand upright under the roof.

Swindon Advertiser: The material is stored in a curing room for one day then moved into storageThe material is stored in a curing room for one day then moved into storage (Image: Newsquest)

The contents of these huge containers are pumped into state-of-the-art machines produced by Laader Berg, IPF, and Fecken Kirfe which create the useful material in enormous 30-metre-long blocks weighing four tonnes.

Exhaust gasses from the process are extracted and filtered through the specialised Lybover charcoal bed filters.

Once the foam is produced, it cures in a specially built area for 24 hours, before being transported to a purpose-built warehouse the sent to the state-of-the-art Fecken Kirfel cutting line.

Swindon Advertiser: Enormous machinery moves the blocks carefully into placeEnormous machinery moves the blocks carefully into place (Image: Newsquest)

The finished foam will be transported on specialised press trucks bought in from Belguim.

Around 15 staff will oversee the mostly automated process.  

On-site tests of the newly-produced material are carried out on-site in a laboratory.

The foam is colour-coded to help clarify what it will be used for.

During the official opening, the Adver had a chance to see how the factory worked.

 

 

Swindon Advertiser: These machines by Fecken-Kirfel cut Strandfoam's products into piecesThese machines by Fecken-Kirfel cut Strandfoam's products into pieces (Image: Newsquest)

Swindon Advertiser: These machines by Fecken-Kirfel cut Strandfoam's products into piecesThese machines by Fecken-Kirfel cut Strandfoam's products into pieces (Image: Newsquest)