Engineering news
Out with the old: Manufacturing equipment will be modernised and upgraded
The home of Cadbury's chocolate is set to benefit from a multi-million pound investment to modernise the facilities and safeguard the next generation of manufacturing at the site, the owners have announced.
US-based Mondelez International plans to invest £75 million into the Bournville factory, in Birmingham, to replace out of date production lines and open new ones.
The company said the cash, which is dependent on a consultations with employees, would be the first significant investment in the plant for 30 years.
Neil Chapman, manufacturing director of Chocolate UK for Mondelez International, said: "The competitiveness gap we have identified means we are already missing out on important opportunities to grow. We want to hear as many ideas as possible from our employees on how, alongside our £75 million investment, we achieve improvements that boost competitiveness, thereby securing the next generation of manufacturing at Bournville."
Trade union Unite said the investment was 'good news'. Unite's national officer, Rhys McCarthy, said: "The union has been working with Cadbury to get the best deal possible for workers during this restructuring. It is yet another example of success when unions and employers work together in the manufacturing industry.
"The company has poured in £33 million of investment over the last two years and now they are pouring a further £75 million into Cadbury.
"This investment should help the company compete more effectively which in turn will boost job security for over 3,000 workers across the UK."
The Bournville site was acquired by Kraft Foods (now Mondelez International) in 2010 and currently employs 960 workers.
The factory first opened in 1879 after George and Richard Cadbury moved manufacturing from the centre of Birmingham to Bournbrook Hall, south of Birmingham. The brothers named the area 'Bournville'.