14.08.2024
News
“Classic Mineral Water invests £3.4 million in bottling line
Classic Mineral Water, based in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, is investing £3.4 million to develop a third bottling line as it expands its private label presence and creates 16 new jobs.
The investment will allow the company to produce isotonic drinks – sports-style drinks that contain the same concentration of salt and sugar as the human body – for the private label market.
This latest venture, supported by a grant from Invest Norther Ireland, follows significant investment made by the company in recent years, which has allowed Classic Mineral Water to increase capacity and efficiency, as well as reduce production costs.
Liam Duffy, CEO and owner of Classic Mineral Water, said, “Through investment in innovative technology and skills, we have transformed Classic Mineral Water into a high-speed, state-of-the-art soft drink manufacturing facility and achieved a six-fold increase in sales to £12 million in just a few years.
The next phase of growth
“This latest investment, which includes the installation of a new pasteurization system, supports our next phase of growth by enabling us to meet market demand for high quality isotonic products. We are confident that it will significantly increase our overall sales, to over £20 million by 2024, and significantly improve our productivity.”
The investment will create 16 jobs, bringing the total number of jobs in the company to 76, with 10 of the new jobs already created.
Classic Mineral Water is reportedly the oldest water bottling company on the island of Ireland and has approved supplies to Aldi, Lidl, Dunnes Stores, Musgraves, Bestways and Tesco. Recently
recently announced that it has signed a new deal with Aldi Ireland worth £3.8 million.
Strong sales position
Invest NI’s Director of Food and Drink, John Hood, added: “This investment has enabled Classic Mineral Water to produce high value-added products and increase production volumes and productivity. This puts the company in a strong position to increase sales in the UK and Republic of Ireland, potentially leading to a 70% increase in turnover.
“Through a variety of support, Invest NI has helped the company develop the infrastructure, expertise and support systems that are necessary to enable the company to realize its vision of becoming a leading player in export markets.”
Meanwhile, vegetable processing and packaging company Frederick Hiam Foods has reduced its energy and water consumption and significantly increased its productivity through investment in new equipment at its Suffolk facility.