A maker of seasonings, spices and sauces for major food brands and supermarkets has talked of major expansion plans for its County Durham factory site, which is set to double in size.
Moguntia Food Group, which already employs 140 people at its Hetton-le-Hole factory, has acquired a neighbouring site from hauliers BM Stafford & Sons which it plans to pour investment into. The three-acre footprint will more than double the size of the firm's existing operation in the town, and is set to create at least 80 new jobs.
Full details of the plans are yet to be decided but Moguntia has earmarked the site for expanded production having already invested significantly in its workforce and a new range of equipment at the factory including a liquid sachet line, a dip pot line and a powder blender. That follows a £1m investment in warehouse facilities on the site in 2023.
Site manufacturing director Nigel Kent told BusinessLive the factory volumes - which is split about 80% powders and 20% sauces - are about 33% up in the year-to-date, on last year. He sees the potential for substantial growth in the firm's sauce production.
He said: "As a group, we should hit €200m [turnover] this year but the plan is to grow, as a group, by another €100m in the next five years. So that will mean significant investment and growth plans for this site. We will build a purpose-built factory to facilitate that growth.
"We're in the final stages of deciding what we'll do next door, but with the growth will mean we not only have to invest in equipment but also heavily in staff."
Products from the factory are typically the "finishing touches" to hundreds of food items found on the selves of major supermarket brands including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Iceland, along with major food producers such as frozen food giant McCain. Across three shifts at the Hetton-le-Hole site, workers turn out a broad range of products from hot honey glazes, through BBQ sauce and gravies. Moguntia is confident that the majority of º£½ÇÊÓƵ households have had at least one of their products.
The family group began in 1903 in the German city of Mainz and now has six sites in Europe, including the Hetton-le-Hole facility, which specialises in hot filling products and powder production, and has kitchen facilities which are used to host frequent visits from customers throughout the development phase. There has been food production on the site for about 40 years.
Overall the group produces about 50,000 tonnes of products every year, including flavourings for customers in butchery, food service and food production markets, as well as private label production for the food retail sector. Moguntia keeps between 1,500-2,000 raw materials in stock at any one time to provide around-the-clock supply.
Paul Yeates, Moguntia's CEO and a shareholder in the business, said: "We have been very successful especially over the last five years and as part of our vision and strategy for the future.
"We have made further investments in acquiring land and buildings to effectively double the size of the business.
"I recognise we are only successful due to the commitment of our colleagues who work diligently each day to delight our customers. We are committed to employing as many new colleagues from the local community and we are at an exciting time."
