Factory rising up on former steelworks site

Requiring 1,290t of structural steelwork, a state-of-the-art factory for Guala Closures is taking shape on the site of the former Gartcosh steelworks in North Lanarkshire.

Italian-based Guala Closures are said to make a huge and important contribution to Scotland’s economy by producing bottle pouring mechanisms for whisky distillers including Diageo, Chivas, Edrington and Wm Grants.

The company currently has three sites in Scotland, but these will be closed down and merged at the new facility once it is operational in late 2024.

Working on behalf of main contractor Luddon Construction, Walter Watson is fabricating, supplying and erecting the steelwork.

A large steel frame is being erected, which measures 180m-long x 120m-wide and has perimeter columns spaced at 7.5m centres. These columns, which are 300×300 SHS sections, support a series of trusses that form the five-span manufacturing area of the factory.

The project also includes a two-storey office block, positioned at one end of the building and containing the main entrance.