CELEBRATING 50 years of manufacturing in Cornwall, DS Smith in Launceston marked the significant milestone with an open day on Tuesday, August 26.

As part of the day, family and guests were offered a factory tour and there were games for all. In addition, the site provided the opportunity to rekindle past memories from the vast array of memorabilia and photographs on display at the site.

Launceston town crier Rob Tremain opened the afternoon activities, followed by a presentation from Mrs Shirley Martyn, managing director of the site. Meanwhile, town mayor Cllr Dave Gordon, commented on how important DS Smith is for local employment and praised the vital work they do within the community.

DS Smith is one of the UK’s leaders in innovative corrugated packaging. Launceston has been fortunate enough to benefit from investment through the years. Today, the site processes 28,000 tonnes of paper a year and provides employment for 185 local employees.

Mrs Martyn said of the day: “It was a fantastic day and wonderful to be able to share this milestone with so many people from our local community. I believe we have one of the most innovative and flexible workforces which allows us to keep redefining packaging for the changing world that we all live in. It is the people that make this factory and we should be incredibly proud of our past and present achievements.”