Avara Foods in £1.9m line investment and 100 new jobs
The packing line handles diced products and has helped the manufacture increase capacity and efficiency at the factory. The latest spend follows two years of investment totalling more than £6.5m at the factory focusing on new technology, site improvements and colleague development.
Hereford site manager Marcus Billig said: “Avara remains committed to investing in its Herefordshire production and agricultural operations and is proud of its long association with the county. We’re proud to be a major employer in the city and always pleased to create new roles as we grow.
“The new line and equipment complements our existing operations and allows us to produce even more here in the heart of Hereford. We’re continuously investing in and improving how we work, and I’m delighted our factory boasts these upgrades.”
New jobs
Avara also announced it was creating 100 new jobs at the Hereford site to help meet seasonal demand.
The new permanent and temporary contracts had been announced in anticipation of warmer weather and an associated increase in production of barbecue products, including skewers and marinated meats, popular summer staples, Avara claimed.
The company said people applying for the roles could expect full training with a chance to progress within the company during the busiest period in its history.
The manufacturer has also invested more than £6m in protective measures across its UK-wide operations to keep members of staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 prevention
This included the installation of screens and curtains along production lines to create physical barriers, floor markers laid in canteens and other shared spaces and staggered shift start and finish times.
The company’s sickness policy has been amended due to the pandemic too, in a bid to ensure those required to self-isolate were not unfairly disadvantaged.
Meanwhile, Canadian agribusiness Richardson International Limited has announced a significant investment in its oat mill in Bedford to boost capacity by at least 35%.
The spend is intended to improve all operational aspects of the UK plant, from intake and warehousing capabilities to logistics and distribution, according to Richardson.
