Radnor Hills unveils UK’s first high-speed Tetra Pak line in £5m expansion
Radnor Hills unveils UK’s first high-speed Tetra Pak line in £5m expansion
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Welsh soft drinks manufacturer Radnor Hills has unveiled a £5 million investment in a pioneering high-speed Tetra Pak production line, the first of its kind to be installed in the UK.
The new Tetra Pak Speed Portion Pack line was officially opened by Deputy First Minister of Wales and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, during a visit to the company’s headquarters in Knighton, Powys.
The investment marks a major milestone in Radnor Hills’ 35th anniversary year and will increase its overall carton capacity by 150%, from 60 million to 150 million packs annually. The expansion will also create more than 20 new jobs and support the company’s growth into markets such as the NHS, schools and the travel sector.
Huw Irranca-Davies said: “I’m delighted to officially open this state-of-the-art production line, which demonstrates Welsh innovation at its best – a family business that has grown from local roots to become a UK leader whilst staying true to its Welsh heritage and our exceptional natural resources.
“This investment shows how our successful Welsh businesses can boost our economy, grow our skills and jobs, and benefit our local communities too.”
Radnor Hills, which produces its drinks using natural Welsh spring water sourced from boreholes near its Powys site, is one of the UK’s leading independent soft drinks manufacturers. Its brands include Radnor Spring Water, Heartsease Farm, and Radnor Splash, which sells at a rate of three bottles every second.
The new filling machine, a Tetra Pak A3 Speed 0500, runs a Tetra Prisma Aseptic 200ml carton with straw and can produce 24,000 cartons per hour, giving an annual capacity of around 90 million.
Radnor Hills CEO and founder William Watkins said: “Our first Tetra Pak line was opened by the Duke of Kent in 2018 and it’s due to the success of the ranges from these lines that we’re now able to expand further, and to provide more customers with the best Welsh soft drinks.
“In addition to the new line, we have also made significant investment in the infrastructure of our site including extended warehousing capacity, a new canning line box packer and a new ERP system. We are also making continued investment in automation around the site.
“It’s a very exciting time for the business and I’m incredibly proud of our people, who are vital to our continued success and our growth.”
Sales and Marketing Director Chris Sanders added: “Our Tetra Pak sales have been growing year on year for us and this new line will make us one of the most versatile soft drinks manufacturing sites in Europe.
“It will help us continue growth in the schools and foodservice sector while also giving us the ability to look at developing new export markets and the travel sector as well as potential innovation for the healthcare sector, hotel industry, prison service and new channels like Convenience.”
The new line will also support product innovation, including Radnor Fruits Disney Stitch, now on sale at Morrisons, and Radnor Hydrate, set to launch early next year.
Katrin Andersson, Tetra Pak’s Managing Director for North Europe, said: “We are delighted to continue our strong relationship and near decade long collaboration with Radnor Hills with the completion of the Tetra Pak A3 Speed line.
“Radnor Hills are a key partner for Tetra Pak and their strong brand presence and focus on innovation make them an ideal collaborator on pioneering projects such as this. We look forward to working very closely together to continue our mutual growth.”
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