Minworth based Southgate Packing has become an integral part of the Government’s Covid-19 testing service.
Southgate Packaging is a leading supplier of packaging equipment and consumables, operating its distribution centre in partnership with Europa Warehouse at Prologis Park Midpoint, Minworth in Birmingham.
Europa, on behalf of Southgate, as the sole packing contractor, has already packaged and despatched more than five million test kit bags since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to issue 100,000 tests a week.
Southgate designed the self-seal bag for the testing kits so that once the test is complete the bag can be resealed to minimise excessive handling.
Europa Warehouse is a division of independent logistics operator, Europa Worldwide Group, and has worked with Southgate for the past five years. Europa’s Birmingham site employs a team of 85 across its Air and Sea, Showfreight, Road, Warehouse and Forwarding divisions.
Craig Turner, managing director of Southgate Packaging, commented: “It has been a great honour to support the NHS with supplying in excess of 100,000 self-seal bags for the Covid-19 test kits every week, that are having to be carried out via the postal system in the instances where persons are isolating or unable to travel to their regional testing sites.
“The plastic self-seal bags that we have developed for the Covid testing kits are very effective and mean that they can be totally sealed off and ready to travel via the domestic postal service once completed. Obviously measures around maintaining the efficacy of the tests whilst ensuring there is no opportunity for cross contamination is paramount in this operation."
Europa Warehouse director Maria Torrent-March commented: “Our essential work with Southgate shows how the logistics sector is vital, and we continue to do our bit to support the NHS at such a hugely challenging time.”
