A £320,000 grant from the Welsh Economic Growth Fund helped support the extension of Ready Foods’s Caernarfon, South Wales factory.
The grant also helped to safeguard the existing jobs of its 73 workers.
Cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure Ken Skates visited Ready Foods yesterday (July 21) at the launch of the extension.
“I am delighted the Welsh government was able to support the company’s extension,” said Skates.
“It has not only created new jobs, but the investment will help secure its long-term sustainable future in the town.”
Employs almost 100 staff
The factory has doubled in size and now employs almost 100 staff.
Ready Foods md Iwan Thomas said: “We have made a significant investment at our site and have a strong senior management team in place and are creating higher calibre jobs.
“Support from the Welsh government was pivotal in taking our plans forward and securing the future of this facility.
“We now plan to increase efficiencies and embark on a programme of continuous improvement and develop the site to increase capacity and sales.”
Ready Foods – part of the Meadow Vale group – manufacture meals for the foodservice industry.
It currently produces 70,000 units a day, with plans to increasing production to 150,000 a day within the next two years.
Reassurance from the government
Meanwhile, Welsh farmers sought reassurance from the government that the food industry would retain access to the EU single market of 500M consumers after Brexit.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) met the minister of state for exiting the EU David Jones at the Royal Welsh Show this week (July 20).
Jones said engaging with the farmers of Wales was a personal priority, with the FUW as his first port of call.
FUW president Glyn Roberts said the talks demonstrated a commitment by the government to ensure agriculture did not suffer when the UK leaves the EU.
“We know we face some challenging and worrying times, but knowing that there is someone at the centre of this critical planning process who has a great understanding of Wales and of Welsh agriculture is reassuring,” said Roberts.