Manufacturing & Supply Chain

International food and drink group Princes has completed the first phase of a planned £60 million 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 is a centre of excellence for fruit juice, manufacturing Princes, Jucee and customer own label products. The site currently produces one-litre, ambient juices, multipacks and ready to merchandise display units.

Following completion of the project – 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 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 investment will reduce Princes’ 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.

Barry McDonnell, Chief Operations Officer at Princes, said: “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. 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.”

Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, said: “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.”

The investment project at Cardiff is set to continue throughout 2021, during which the factory will remain fully operational. In addition to the introduction of chilled and mini production lines, the project will involve strengthening the site’s warehousing and logistical capabilities.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the dedication of key workers at Cardiff and Princes’ other manufacturing sites across the UK has played a crucial role in meeting evolving customer and consumer demand. Social distancing measures have been implemented and the health and safety of Princes colleagues remains a key priority.