M. A. Silva USA, a manufacturer of natural corks, glass and packaging, has invested $4.1m in a new manufacturing facility in Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal.

The investment covers a 64,500ft² plant that will be used to manufacture sparkling and technical cork closures. It will provide 35 job opportunities.

M. A. Silva USA president Neil Foster said: "I founded M. A. Silva USA 17 years ago with Manual Alves Silva, founder of M. A. Silva Portugal, a family-owned and operated company with a 45-year history of wine cork manufacturing.

"The vertical integration of our companies combined with our rigorous quality and testing standards ensures that we deliver the finest premium cork closures to the North American wine industry, meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations.

“This expansion is ultimately the result of the substantial growth we've seen in the cork business over the last years. It will allow us to significantly increase our technical cork production."

In January 2016, the company designed an automated individual cork testing method, which is based on gas phase spectroscopy, to provide 100% TCA inspected corks.

In 2014, M. A. Silva opened a new 70000ft2 manufacturing facility in Santa Rosa, California to provide storage room for wine bottles, sensory and working laboratories along with a multimedia training room, office space and a gym for employees.

Established in 2000, the firm, which depends on solar power for its operations, provides visual, mechanical and sensory features to its products through the quality-assurance program.


Image: M. A. Silva opens manufacturing facility in Portugal. Photo: Courtesy of PR Newswire/M.A. Silva USA.