Kepak £5.5m investment to create more than 100 jobs

The investment is to be made into its Central Prepared Meats packaging facility, with focus on bringing in new technologies to boost the company’s sustainability credentials. 

Commenting on the investment, chief executive Simon Walker said: “We are very pleased to be investing in our Merthyr plant, which is a strategically important site for Kepak. As a growing food business, Kepak is committed to continually investing in its sites to ensure we are optimising the work we do through innovative methods. ​ ​

Uplift in demand  ​

“The enhancements that will be made to our Merthyr plant will not only help us to achieve greater capacity, but to importantly grow the number of colleagues we employ at the site and support local farmers with a significant uplift in demand for livestock.” ​

Kepak’s investment in its Merthyr plant followed the manufacturer securing access to the US market and an increase in the company’s livestock requirements as a consequence. It also recently planted 1,000 indigenous trees at Kepak Merthyr and planned to install a second wind turbine at the site. 

This latest development by the manufacturer will result in the creation of more than 100 new jobs across a number of different disciplines, including operations, IT, engineering and technical. 

Supporting local economy  ​

Merthyr General manager Chris Jones added: “We are delighted to be announcing this significant investment at the Kepak Merthyr site, including the creation of 100 vital jobs supporting the local economy.  ​

“This investment will bring about enhancements to our facilities, ultimately doubling the site’s CPM packaging facility, significantly increasing our demand for livestock, which is excellent news for local famers. At Kepak Merthyr, we are committed to supporting local communities and being a good employer, and this investment is further evidence of that commitment in action.”   ​

Meanwhile, Edible Oils has marked the completion of its £24m investment into its ​​Erith​​ site​​ with the opening of a newly renovated bottling facility.