The investment will see the installation of a fourth canning line at the factory – Britvic’s largest production site – to produce recyclable 330ml cans for its brand portfolio, increasing capacity by 18%.
New jobs created as a result of the investment would be predominantly in engineering and manufacturing, with scope to support apprentices in some of these new roles.
Investing in the supply chain
Britvic GB managing director Paul Graham said: “This is yet another milestone on our growth journey, investing in both our supply chain and our people.
“This new, state of the art canning line will be a fantastic boost for Britvic’s Rugby facility which continues to produce recyclable cans for some of our most popular brands. We look forward to using this additional capacity as a platform to drive further innovation.”
The first of the new recyclable 330ml cans were expected to be produced this November, with the new line fully up and running in 2022.
Commenting on Britvic’s continued investment into Rugby, member of parliament for the area Mark Pawsey said: “I welcome today’s announcement regarding Britvic’s latest investment in its Rugby facility.
Confidence in Rugby
“The new roles created are a sign of confidence in our constituency and by creating at least 20 new jobs Britvic further enhances its reputation as an important employer for the local area.”
Britvic’s Rugby investment followed a £5m cash injection into a new recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) manufacturing facility in North Yorkshire, as part of its move of its core brands to 100% recycled plastic bottles.
According to Britvic, the switch to fully recycled materials would save 1,354 tonnes of virgin plastic every year, in addition to the 1,900 tonnes saved by its Ballygowan Mineral Water and Fruit Shoot Hydro brands switching to rPET bottles.
Meanwhile, PepsiCo has completed a £14m upgrade of its Southern Region Distribution Centre based in Leicester.