A medical manufacturing company welcomed Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation, George Freeman, to its state-of-the-art facility last Thursday (June 16) to mark a £2m investment to boost its product range.

As well as undertaking a tour of the factory and meeting Ross-on-Wye business Ultrafilter Medical’s 67-strong team, the minister was briefed about the company’s role, supplying medical-grade face masks during the pandemic.

Known as “Britain’s big mask giveaway”, the campaign saw the donation of one million masks across the country.

He also learned about Ultrafilter’s new £2m investment in its Ross factory to facilitate production of new processed-water filtration products at the site.

This diversification of its UK product range will support the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, delivering unique benefits to both industries and reducing reliance on US and Chinese suppliers.

Dustin Kronsbein, managing director at Ultrafilter said: “We are delighted that the Minister visited Ultrafilter and took the time to find out how our company remains at the forefront of emerging filtration technologies.

“It was exciting to share how our experience and knowledge of industrial filtration solutions are now being applied to filtering water, improving existing products and reducing reliance on global imports, as well creating potential to export into new markets.”

Mr Freeman said: “The UK life science sector is creating exciting new companies, jobs and careers across the UK, not just in the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge or London, but in advanced manufacturing, engineering and high-value supply-chain equipment and technology.

“Ultrafilter is an exciting, high-growth business, today investing £2m to expand into new markets.”

Led by Ultrafilter chairman and leading technology entrepreneur Dean Kronsbein and his son Dustin, Ultrafilter’s Ross factory was formally opened by Edward Harley OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, last September.