McCain plans £100M investment in Scarborough
The manufacturer said the investment would help meet increased demand for its products, upgrade equipment and increase sustainability at the factory.
Its plans included: installing odour reduction technology, landscaping around the perimeter of the facility and implementing renewable technology to reduce the company’s environmental impact.
McCain corporate affairs director Bill Bartlett said: “This is a significant investment for McCain, and one that will allow us to meet the ongoing increased demand for our products, address long-term capacity and capability opportunities and deliver the latest technology and broader environmental benefits.
‘Continued employment’
“This proposal certainly secures our operations in Scarborough and continued employment in the area for decades to come.”
The proposal for the factory is currently in the pre-planning stages, with full plans to be submitted for consultation to the local authorities in the coming weeks.
If the application is accepted, the renewal is expected to take about three years to complete. McCain is accepting comments on the factory renewal up to Friday March 24.
McCain is one of the area’s largest employers. It works in partnership with over 200 suppliers, potato growers and community organisations in the region.
The planned investment came a month after McCain announced it would be shutting down the cold store operation at the Scarborough site, threatening the jobs of 74 workers.
Decision to outsource
The decision to outsource its cold-storage requirements followed a consultation with the affected employees.
McCain said it was considering a number of options – including re-employment within the business – to ensure a minimal number of unavoidable redundancies.
Meanwhile, fresh milk supplier Medina Dairy is to invest £3.5M in its Hampshire dairy, creating up to 25 new jobs across various roles. The investment at Medina’s Watson’s Dairy will secure the jobs of 95 employees, with the new jobs created in the next six months.
