The investment coincides with the 40th anniversary of the site and brings the total amount spent at the site to £1M since 2013.
The Edmonton factory employs 229 workers and is capable of making 50M cases of product each year. CCE produces its entire range of drinks at the site, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life.
The site’s operations director Steve Thorpe said the investment was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the plant.
Heritage and future
“However, it’s not just our history that we are celebrating today, it’s our future too,” he said.
“The investments we have announced for the next year will help us to ensure Edmonton remains a nationally renowned centre of manufacturing excellence.”
CCE’s chairman and ceo John Brock said the drinks manufacturer was “dedicated to making positive contributions” in the communities it operates in.
Edmonton site in numbers
- 50M cases of product a year (capacity)
- 142,000l of drink per hour (capacity)
- 24,000 pallets of finished product storage capacity
- 229 workers
- 40 years of operation
“Edmonton is a strong example of the role our sites can play in their local areas, not just as a factory which fosters innovation, but one which seeks to nurture young people and provide them with new opportunities for the future,” he added.
The firm also welcomed its 50,000th student through the doors of the site following a visit from local school, The Compton.
200 school visits
The facility aims to host over 200 school visits a year for students from nearby secondary schools, colleges and universities, giving them an insight into manufacturing processes and the opportunity to hear more about career opportunities in the industry, CCE claimed.
The Compton School’s head of business studies Aashiq Pujara said: “Tours of the facilities are always conducted in an extremely professional manner and students have often used examples in their GCSE exam questions linked to the information obtained whilst on the trip. This is perhaps the biggest reason why I will continue to bring groups to visit the factory for many more years to come.”
CCE works with a network of local business partners, including the Institute of Education and WISE (Women in Science and Manufacturing), to broaden the reach of its Edmonton Education Centre and to enable its continued contribution to educating and inspiring the next generation of workers.