site.btaFirst Factory for Nitrile Gloves in Europe Unveiled in Plovdiv

PPS Manufacturing officially inaugurated the first factory for nitrile gloves in Europe in the southern city of Plovdiv on Thursday, the company said. The BGN 13 million investment includes the construction of the 6,000 sq m factory and instalment of own production line.

Real-time production will begin next week. The production line has a capacity of 800,000 gloves per day or 250,000 boxes a month, the Chairman of the company’s Board, Georgi Petkov, said at the opening. The company will open 100 new jobs.

PPS Manufacturing CEO Anton Petrov pointed out that over 80% of all glove factories in the world are located in Malaysia, where the technology and the staff differ, he added. 

In Petrov’s opinion, the factory’s fully automated process, which will be launched in a year of staff training, will successfully compete with these producers. A second production line will be installed after the R&D sector okays a challenging seasonal weather technology, he added. 

The basic compound is provided by a supplier guaranteeing weekly deliveries and a two-month full stock.

The factory is one of the most significant investments for Bulgaria’s economy, for it follows the first wave of global changes related to the pandemic and disrupted global supply chains, Plovdiv Deputy Mayor Stefan Stoyanov said at the opening. It is symbolic for Plovdiv and the total change the city is undergoing with the main investments being made by Bulgarian entrepreneurs jointly with foreign partners, raising the dynamics of the region above the EU average.

The factory for nitrile gloves was constructed with the support of the Sustainable Cities Fund with a credit totaling BGN 12,014,990, including BGN 7,088,844  under the Regions in growth Operational Programme and co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund.