22.08.2024
News
PepsiCo invests heavily in Walkers UK website
PepsiCo wants to increase the production of healthy snacks Walkers.
On June 6, PepsiCo announced that it will invest £58 million ($72 million) in its Walkers crisps plant in Leicester, UK.
The funds will be used for new production lines and modernization of production facilities to increase the production of Walkers chips and snacks.
American food giant PepsiCo said this is the company’s largest investment in the UK in 25 years, and that since 2020, more than £120 million has been invested in its UK manufacturing and supply chain operations.
“The scale of this latest investment is aimed at securing the future of the plant and positioning Walkers for further growth in the long term,” PepsiCo said in a statement.
The company said the new technology will allow it to develop further “healthier” snack lines.
Jason Richards, CEO of PepsiCo UK and Ireland, said: “As we look ahead to the next 75 years [Walkers Crisps celebrates its 75th anniversary this year] and look to secure the future of our UK operations, this £58 million investment will transform our manufacturing site and the installation of state-of-the-art equipment will help us deliver on our packaging and health ambitions.”
The new production lines will be used to increase capacity for the Wotsits and Monster Munch brands.
There will also be new investments in environmentally friendly equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooking and reduce the amount of virgin plastic used for the outer packaging of multipacks by 56 tons per year.
New cardboard designs replacing the outer plastic packaging on millions of 20-bag multipacks, as well as new, stronger stretch film on pallets that uses less virgin plastic, are also on the agenda.
The company has committed to achieving zero emissions by 2040.
In March of this year, PepsiCo announced a trial of recyclable paper-based outer packaging for Walkers chips.
The funding will also allow for the introduction of new technology that will enable the development of further healthier ranges from 2024. Walkers’ said it aims to provide half of its snack sales with products that are not classified as HFSS (high fat, high salt and high sugar) by 2025.
The modernization will include new training and development opportunities for the company’s 1,120 employees in Leicester, as well as the creation of up to 100 new positions.
In 2021, PepsiCo invested £24 million in its Lincoln plant, also located in the East Midlands. This was done to expand production of another of Walkers’ snack brands, Quavers.