For more than 125 years, Viscose Closures has been manufacturing with pride in the UK, and for 70 of those years, we’ve been based in Swansea.
Our company was founded on strong values and by visionaries, including Charles Frederick Cross, who invented the Viscose process back in 1892. Since then, innovation has remained at the very heart of everything we do here at Viscose.
For more information on the history of Viscose Closures click below to see our full timeline…
Viscose Closures has been proudly manufacturing in the UK for over 125 years and in Swansea for 70 years. Built on strong values and by visionaries including Charles Frederick Cross, the inventor of the Viscose process in 1892. Innovation has been at the heart of Viscose ever since. Today Viscose is regarded as one of the market leaders in the UK supplying caps, closures, seals and sleeving predominantly as a tamper evident solution. With over 100 years’ experience, Viscose is known for their manufacturing expertise and exceptional customer service. In 2011, the company was sold with the support of Finance Wales and private investors. The company growth journey began and many products have been added to the Viscose portfolio during this time. Sales of our tamper evident Cellulose bands (Viskrings/Celons) developed a global market across all sectors. In 1990, the company opened a brand new factory, which houses the manufacturing operation at its current site in Swansea, South Wales. This led to the introduction of a number of new products, including the company’s heat shrinkable PVC sleeves. Cellulose and Shrink sleeving production remain onsite today. In 1985 the Management Team bought the Cellulose process from Spontex. Between 1985 – 1990 Spontex manufactured the cellulose product on behalf of Viscose closures. In the 1980’s Viscose started supplying aluminium crowns and In 1987 PVC shrink sleeves started production at Viscose head office in Crawley. In 1973 Viscose Group Limited was born. The production of Cellulose tamper evident bands known as Viskrings/Celons, today’s core product, continued production. In the early 60’s, Visplas division was set up producing Visplas capsules, polythene stretch capsules aimed at the table wine market which was traditionally served by lead and tin foil capsules. In 1969 another division was established – Viskproof – producing Viskproof capsules. Both the traditional cellulose closure and the polythene Visplas capsule were used a secondary closure primarily as a tamper evidence solution. In 1951, experimental work started on the production of a dried tubular casing for use in sausage manufacture. From this innovation, the company Viskase Limited was formed as a joint venture of Sponcel and the American Company, the Viskring Corporation of Chicago. In 1951, Viscose joint venture formed with American Company the Viskring Corporation of Chicago – this is no longer trading. Our core product the Viskring is sold via two distributors Kaufman Container Company and Walter H Jelly Limited. In the early 30’s the Company was engaged in the manufacture of moulded plastics which began at Bromley , Kent and this section of the Company continued until 1954. It was here that the early experiments in the manufacture of cellulose tubing started, and much later the printing process was developed. Experiments too, were carried out into the manufacture of cellulose sponges by various methods, and a little later a new company, Sponcel Limited was formed in conjunction with the French company Novacel. Work began on the Swansea factory in 1948/9 and during this time training of operators began at temporary premises in Llansamlet. Production started in the new factory in 1949/50. The Viscose process was first discovered by Charles Frederick Cross who patented his discovery in 1892 with a view to developing the Viscose process for textiles. The Viscose Spinning Syndicate was formed in 1894 under the Chairmanship of Mr A. Pears (of soap fame). This Company ran until 1902, when the spinning rights of Viscose were acquired by the late Samuel Courtauld, who was then the Chairman of a fairly small Company manufacturing natural silk. This business has since become the vast Courtauld Empire with which we are so familiar. In 1902 the Viscose Development Company Limited was formed to operate all other uses of the Viscose process other than those relating to textiles, and this Company absorbed the original Viscose Spinning Syndicate. In 1916 the Company started the construction of a factory at Woldham Road, Bromley but completion of this was delayed by the First World War, and it was not occupied until 1920.
2020
Viscose Today
2000s
SOLD TO PRIVATE INVESTORS AND GROWTH
1990s
OPENING OF NEW FACTORY
1980s
DEVELOPMENT OF SHRINK SLEEVES
1970s
BIRTH OF VISCOSE GROUP LIMITED
1960s
SET-UP OF VISPLAS DIVISION
1950s
COMPANY VISKASE LIMITED FORMED
1930s
EARLY EXPERIMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CELLULOSE TUBING STARTED
1890s
VISCOSE PROCESS FIRST DISCOVERED BY CHARLES FREDERICK CROSS
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