International food and drink group Princes has completed the first phase of a planned £60m investment in its Cardiff manufacturing site, with the installation of seven new state-of-the-art soft drink production lines, in addition to a significant upgrade and refurbishment of two existing lines. Commissioning of all new lines is currently underway.

Princes’ Cardiff site currently produces one-litre, ambient juices, multipacks and ready to merchandise display units.

Following completion of the project – which is the Group’s largest ever capital investment into soft drinks – Princes’ Cardiff site will have the capability to produce ambient, mini and chilled drinks, doubling overall production capacity. Princes says it will also be able to expand its product range beyond fruit juice and enter new markets, as well as introduce additional packaging sizes and formats to meet customer demand.

Additionally, the manufacturer says the investment will reduce its carbon footprint through increased efficiencies and the use of more environmentally friendly carton materials.

The site is one of the largest employers in the area with over 200 colleagues, and its supply chain supports hundreds of both local and regional jobs. As a result of the upgrade, 80 new employees have joined the Princes Group at its Cardiff site, with up to another 50 set to be recruited later this year.

“This is an important milestone in our £60m investment programme at Cardiff, which will future-proof the site and our manufacturing capabilities, increase production and enable Princes to enter new markets,” said Barry McDonnell, Chief Operations Officer at Princes.

“The past 12 months have of course been challenging, however our dedicated on-site project and operational teams collaborated to adopt COVID-19 secure practices, while working to meet increased customer and consumer demand for our products and progress construction works. We’re delighted that this significant investment remains on track for completion in 2021 as a result of their hard work.”

“Through this development programme, we are firmly committed to contributing to a sustainable and successful future for the soft drinks industry and British manufacturing overall, and providing long-term, high quality employment opportunities in the area.”

“It is great Princes have completed the first phase of their significant expansion in Cardiff,” added Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd.

“This news is very welcome after such an incredibly difficult year for our food and drink producers and our economy as a whole. “I am pleased the Welsh Government is supporting this project and it will be key in helping Princes enter new and exciting markets, meet their waste reduction targets and create new employment opportunities in the industry.”

Princes’ Cardiff site is a centre of excellence for one-litre cartons of ambient fruit juice and drinks, manufacturing both branded and customer own brand contracts. It produces juice products in one litre cartons, multipacks and ready to merchandise display units.