Gwalia Packaging Group has won a contract to supply child-resistant containers and closures for an own-label range of multi-vitamins after completing a £2m investment in injection blow moulding.

The investment programme, which the South Wales-based company announced in March 2008  included the acquisition of new and used machinery from a number of overseas and UK sources.

The firm is now able to manufacture both containers and closures, making it more appealing to client companies. This led it to winning the contract from Brunel Healthcare for a major supermarket's own-brand vitamins.

Gwalia comprises closure manufacturer Dragon Plastics and container manufacturer Gwalia Plastics. The latter was previously called Riverside Plastics and was acquired by Dragon's shareholders in 2007.

The £2m investment was funded by the shareholders' own resources and a financial contribution from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Rod Parker, the Pontypridd firm's managing director, said the company had always tried to be sensitive to market conditions and immediately after acquiring Riverside Plastics realised the need to supply PET containers.

"We already had an injection moulding core competency but now we have sourced and commissioned plant and equipment for two-stage injection blow moulding. This means that we can now supply not only blown PET containers, but also pre-forms, with massive potential saving in both cost and carbon emissions," he said.