Soft drinks manufacturer Radnor Hills has unveiled a £5m investment that will increase its overall carton capacity by from 60 million to 150 million packs annually.
The investment from the Powys-based and family-owned business is centred by a new Tetra Pak line.
As well as helping to deliver more than 20 new jobs, the new line will allow it to see it expand into markets including the NHS, schools and travel sector. It is the first Tetra Pak speed portion pack line to be installed in the Ƶ with the latest technology upgrade. It has a capacity of 24,000 cartons an hour.
The investment is expected to boost the firm’s revenues by £5m. The business, which employs 268, in its latest audited accounts saw revenues climb 15% to £74.7m in the financial year to the end of May, 2024.
William Watkins, chief executive and founder of Radnor Hills, 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 enterprise resource planning 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.”
Chris Sanders, sales and marketing director of Radnor Hills, said: “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. We’ve also got new products in development with the format including a very exciting partnership which we launched with a national retailer this month.
“Our Radnor Fruits Disney Stitch range is packaged in lunch box ready Tetra Pak cartons made with a pull tab technology and it’s now available online and in-store across the Ƶ at Morrisons. We’ll also be launching Radnor Hydrate early next year to drive further innovation in schools and the leisure sector.”
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.”
The new line was officially opened by Deputy First Minister of Wales with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies.
He said: “This investment shows how our successful Welsh businesses can boost our economy, grow our skills and jobs, and benefit our local communities too.”
This year Radnor Hills is celebrating its 35th year.
