Navigator Consolidates โUK Tissue Manufacturing,โข Closing Blackburn Facility
Navigator Company is restructuring its tissue operations in the united Kingdom, consolidating โproduction from six โคsites to two as it integrates the Accrol Group, acquired in 2024 for approximately โฌ152 โmillion (US$176โ million). โคThe plan โinvolves closingโ the toilet โคpaperโฃ and paper towel factory in Blackburn,โ northern England, and โshifting output to new and existing facilities โคin Leicester and Leyland.
The Leicester plant’s capacity โis projected โto increase by 30% to 50%, while the Leylandโฃ facility is expectedโค to grow by 15% to 25%. Navigator anticipates completing the reorganization between late 2026 and the second quarter of 2027. the Blackburn facial tissue factoryโค will remain operational.
According toโ Navigator,the restructuring aimsโฃ to “reinforce operational efficiency andโข the competitiveness โofโค the tissue business โin the United โขKingdom,”โ aligning UK practices with theโฃ company’s global model. Theโค Leicesterโข and Leyland locations were chosen for โคtheir strategic positioning to efficiently serve both northern and southern England, reducing logistics expenses.
Driven by the Accrol integration, Navigator’s tissue salesโ increased โฃby 14%โ in volume and 17% in value between January and September 2025.Though, the company’s net profitโ decreased by โ51% to โฌ118โ million, attributedโฃ to rising energy and raw โขmaterial costs and declining pulp prices.
During theโ first nine monthsโค of โฃ2025, the tissue segmentโ produced 177,000 tons, a 14% โคvolume and 17% value โincrease. International sales accounted for approximately 80% of the total volume, up fromโ 54% in 2022, with the United Kingdom โค(35%), Spain โข(30%),โ and France (14%) representingโข keyโ markets.Finished products โคcomprisedโ 98% of sales, with jumbo rolls making up the remaining 2%.
