£1 million investment in Abernethy site

16 April 2008

Branston has added another £1 million to the £2 million already invested in its Abernethy site, in response to increased demand for the company's potatoes.

In this latest round of capital expenditure a state-of-the-art production line and water treatment system have been installed. The new production line is one of the first in the UK to feature a Newtec 3015 multi-head weigher and also features the latest GIC vertical form bagging machine. As a result of the investment Branston can now weigh and package portion controlled baking potatoes with greater accuracy and increased efficiency.

11 new people have also been recruited to work on the new production line. The new graders, packers, forklift driver and machine operator could be joined by an additional 18 new recruits once the line is operating at full capacity. A new water treatment system has been installed alongside the production line to ensure that the factory's waste water is as clean as possible on disposal.

Eric Ritchie, General Manager at Abernethy comments: "With more growers and an increase in demand, Branston is busier than ever before. The investment in Abernethy reflects this and while we're looking to increase our production, we are also committed to minimising our impact on the environment."

Following Branston's acquisition of the Abernethy factory in 2004, it has spent over £3 million in developing the site, increasing throughput by more than 300%, with production rising from 25,000 to 80,000 tonnes per year.