A Black Country dairy factory capable of producing enough milk to fill 200 Olympic-size swimming pools is set to become fully operational within weeks. Independent dairy supplier Freshways is finalising the new state-of-the-art dairy processing hub on West Bromwich's Park Rose Industrial Estate, representing a £25 million investment.
Indian Delegation Signs Off on Multi-Million Pound Installation
A delegation of Indian engineers and dairy executives visited the town this week to sign off on a multi-million pound installation at the facility. The new plant will begin commercial processing shortly, and at full capacity, 500 million litres of fresh British milk will flow through each year. The investment will see at least 200 people employed at the site, with more jobs likely as the plant scales up.
Supporting National Distribution Network
The new site will support Freshways' national distribution network, receiving milk from hundreds of British dairy farms before processing and transporting it to one of 15 distribution centres. From there, the finished product will be delivered to more than 15,000 food service and retail customers. Freshways sourced the specialist dairy processing equipment from India in one of the first major deals since the UK and Indian governments signed a Free Trade Agreement.
Specialist Equipment from India
Engineering specialists from IDMC, based in Gujarat, manufactured over 200 pieces of specialist equipment for the project, including five stainless steel silos weighing 17 tonnes each, capable of holding a total of 625,000 litres of fresh British milk. A team of Indian engineers has been overseeing the installation, and their bosses from India were in town to sign off on the job.
Quotes from Key Figures
Bali Nijjar, MD of Freshways, said: "I'm so excited that we are now close to completing this important investment in the future of our business and in the West Midlands. It's been a huge project with teams of engineers and building contractors working round the clock to get it ready, and I'm delighted to welcome our Indian business partners to West Bromwich today to see our delicious fresh British milk start to flow."
Rajkumar Malik, MD of IDMC, said: "It's such a privilege to be here in the UK seeing the results of many months hard work designing, manufacturing, shipping and installing this bespoke dairy equipment for Freshways. I hope the Freshways partnership will be the first of many as a result of the closer trading relationships between India and the UK."
Mayor's Support and Future Plans
In October last year, the plant was visited by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, who said this investment in advanced manufacturing was a key part of his Growth Plan. Freshways, a family business founded in 1991, also backed the Mayor's Youth Employment Plan, with students—particularly those studying engineering—being critical to their future plans.
