News from the Department for Business, Innovation & SkillsA new coffee production facility in Staffordshire was officially opened by Business Secretary Sajid Javid today (10 March 2016), creating a total of 425 jobs and boosting the Midlands economy.
Nestlé already employs nearly 1,000 people at its Tutbury site, and its total £325 million investment is recognition of the highly-skilled labour force, which includes manufacturing and engineering apprentices. The factory now produces 40 million cups of coffee every day, making Tutbury one of the world’s most productive coffee factories. Nearly 90% of all coffee capsules produced at the site are exported to Brazil, Italy, Mexico and the USA amongst others.
In a further boost for the region, Business Secretary Sajid Javid also officially opened the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick. The EIC is leading global research into new battery cell technology which will support the growth of electric and hybrid vehicle use, backed by £9 million funding from government and an additional £4 million from the automotive industry. By 2020, it is estimated that the electric and hybrid vehicle battery market will be worth £250 million for the UK.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said:
“The investments made by Nestlé and the Warwick Manufacturing Group are tangible signs of the strength and energy of the Midlands economy. The Midlands Engine is home to a diverse range of exciting businesses and universities, so it’s no surprise the economy here has been outperforming the rest of the country since 2010.
“The region is already worth £222 billion each year to the UK economy and if it matches the predicted growth rate for the UK over the next 15 years, it could create 300,000 jobs and boost the national economy by £34 billion.”
Dame Fiona Kendrick, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé UK and Ireland said:
“Today’s opening is a proud moment for Nestlé and for me personally. It represents a very significant investment in our Tutbury factory which is now a true centre of excellence for our coffee business.
“We are taking the UK’s productivity challenge incredibly seriously at Nestlé and this investment has made Tutbury one of our best examples of that. We have made processes more efficient, given our employees new skills and equipped them with state-of-the-art machinery with which to do their job.”
Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, WMG Chairman said:
“I am delighted that the Secretary of State has opened our Energy Innovation Centre. Electric and hybrid vehicles are the future of automotive and WMG is at the forefront of this research. We have a long history of research impact in hybrid, electric and low carbon vehicles which he has been able to see first-hand.”
Today’s visit follows the visit by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011 when the company announced a £110 million investment into the Nescafé Dolce Gusto manufacturing facility to expand production capacity and create 300 new jobs. Today’s opening is the latest stage of a further £215 million investment in a state-of-the-art freeze drying plant at the site, bringing together freeze dried, spray dried and warehousing on one site.
WMG was founded by Professor Lord Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and the new EIC has been specifically established by the Automotive Council to provide a strategic a one-stop-shop for the development of new battery chemistries from concept to fully proven traction batteries, available in sufficient quantities for industrial scale testing.
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