The investment would increase the factory’s floor size by 25% and boost production capacity by 20%, the company claimed. It would also mean it has revealed more than £63M worth of spending on production so far this year.
A total of £8M has been earmarked for the site’s development. Some of the cash would be spent on the latest manufacturing equipment to help Tulip meet rising demand for its fried savoury products, it said.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for all involved in the Ruskington business,” said site director Phil Wheatcroft. “The planned investment is testament to the hard work and commitment everyone has shown …”
‘Strengthen our position’
The move would “ensure that we can further strengthen our position as an industry leader in the production of fried savoury products for the retail market”, said Wheatcroft. It would also enable the company to swell the ranks of its foodservice customers, he added.
“When the work is complete it will increase our current production capacity by 20% as well as create up to 45 new full time jobs, which will be of great benefit to the local community,” he claimed.
Work has already started on extending Ruskington’s production area to facilitate the installation of the new production line. The project would also include upgrades to existing power, waste and refrigeration facilities, with Tulip expecting to complete all aspects of the work by April 2015.
250 new jobs
This latest development follows Tulip’s announcement it would pump £16M into its Bugle and Redruth factories in Cornwall, creating 250 new jobs. Cash for this initiative was provided by its owner the Danish Crown Group, Europe’s largest pork producer, and topped up by a £4.8M government grant.
In May, Tulip revealed a £2.3M spend on what it claimed to be the UK’s largest facility dedicated to barbecue, slow-cooked and pulled meat products. It acquired the 3,000m2 factory when it bought Parkam Foods in 2011.
In February this year, the company said it had invested £37M at its Ashton plant in Northamptonshire, its Spalding factory in Lincolnshire and its Westerleigh site in Gloucestershire to boost pork exports to China.
In total, the firm has therefore revealed investments of more than £63M so far this year.