Dairy firm secures £85k investment to create jobs
The investment from the South West Growth Fund (SWGF) – supported by the government’s Regional Growth Fund – would help the company expand its team from 50 to 60 people by 2019, said Langage Farm.
Md Paul Winterton told FoodManufacture.co.uk that the funding brought the total amount invested in the company to about £300,000. The money had been spent on installing specialist pieces of equipment and altering the layout of the factory.
“Due to the investment, we’ve won a large contract with Aldi and we’ve got further interest coming forward for next year, so it looks promising with expansion plans that we’ve budgeted for,” said Winterton.
More sustainable
Langage Farm has now started to produce yogurts in glass jars as part of the investment, in a bid to make the company more sustainable. It has also installed an anaerobic digester.
“There are a few reasons for glass,” Winterton explained. “One is to offset the plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans.
“I think that plastic is going to become less and less popular with consumers. We are one of the greenest companies in the UK and our green credentials are at the forefront of our decision making.”
The south west of England is set to receive a £8.7M funding boost from the SWGF, with the potential to create 1,136 new jobs.
Grants of up to £1M
Up to 90 businesses across the region have now received grants of up to £1M to help improve infrastructure and accelerate their growth, primarily in the manufacturing, marine and digital sectors.
The fund was secured by the University of Plymouth’s Growth Acceleration and Investment Network team, the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service, South West Water Business and the Western Morning News.
Commenting on the investment from the SWGF, Winterton said: “From our point of view, it’s been a really worthwhile exercise securing this investment. We’ve taken real advantage of the facilities available, including expert knowledge.”
Meanwhile, a former Young’s Seafood factory is set to reopen in Scotland and create up to 20 new jobs, following investment by the European Commission and the Scottish government.
Food Manufacture Excellence Awards finalist
Langage Farm was one of the finalists in this year’s Food Manufacture Excellence Awards at the Hilton Park Lane in London last month. The business was nominated for Dairy Manufacturing Company of the Year.
The award was won by global speciality cheese business Norseland, which was praised for its commitment to driving domestic and export sales, after replacing an outdated enterprise resource planning system. Meanwhile, register your interest for next year’s awards here.
