Bridgend based rotational moulding company, Corilla Plastics, has celebrated the 80th birthday and 50-year tenure of its longest-serving team member, Les Loosemore.
Corilla Plastics marks the achievement of these dual milestones as Les continues to bring energy and innovation to progressive projects in the UK manufacturing industry, proving Wales to be a hub for technical excellence.
Corilla Plastics is the only rotational moulding manufacturer in Wales, using the process to champion durable and reusable plastic solutions across industries. The company has a strong footing in trade moulding, automotive, construction, marine and consumer products. Rotational moulding, or ‘rotomoulding’, enables Corilla Plastics to maintain its position as an innovative manufacturer capable of solving complex engineering challenges through intelligent, long-lasting designs. It is this blend of technical problem-solving with Corilla Plastics’ strong values and base in the Garw Valley which has kept Les Loosemore engaged for more than five decades.
Les tracks his career in rotational moulding back to 1966, when he accepted a role with Bowater Packaging – the Brynmenin company that would go on to become Corilla Plastics. His career has seen him collaborate with many ‘blue chip’ national and international companies, with contributions to product development at Ford New Holland, Dyson, Iveco Trucks, JCB and Caterpillar. Les believes that Corilla Plastics still offers him a stimulating environment in which he can apply his extensive experience to impactful projects alongside ambitious colleagues.
“Throughout my ongoing career at Corilla Plastics, the giving and receiving of respect, coupled with honesty and integrity, has been paramount in so many ways,” Les explains. “And on the note of longevity, I can put it down to four factors: job satisfaction, social engagement, mind stimulation, and personal stress management. All held in an excellent balance at Corilla, and long may it continue.”
Selwyn Jones, Managing Director of Corilla Plastics, added:
“Les has been a bastion of consistency and the high watermark of technical excellence throughout his career at Corilla. I’m very pleased to celebrate his phenomenal contribution to Corilla Plastics and the rotational moulding industry at large. It is a credit to our company that we continue to challenge and motivate a genuine expert such as Les so deep into his career.”
As Les looks forward to completing a sixth decade at Corilla Plastics, he remains hard at work developing new and sustainable solutions to meet today’s challenges. Les and his colleagues have just introduced a flexible baffle solution to aid fish migration and culvert longevity in British rivers, making the product accessible to local authorities and river trusts.
