Medina Dairy announces investment programme
Medina Dairy has invested in a £3.5 million (€4.03m) development programme to further upgrade its Watson’s Dairy in Hampshire, UK.
The investment will deliver greater operational flexibility and efficiencies and is in line with Medina’s strategic focus to enhance further its ability to service the fresh milk and cream requirements of the multiple retailers. It will mean that the milk of some 96 local dairy farmers will now be processed at the dairy, securing the jobs of Watson’s existing 95 employees and resulting in the creation over the next six months of up to 25 additional new roles.
Watson’s Dairy will benefit from the installation of a high speed, filling line, automatic trolley packing and additional milk and cream silos. The investment, which will be completed by late Spring 2017, will expand Medina’s operational capability in the South East of England and will complement its recent winning of new fresh milk supply contracts with major retailers including Sainsbury’s and Iceland Foods. At the same time, Medina will continue to invest in the development of its ‘Watsons’ branded milk which is already generating sales of in the region of £65m (€74.9m), with a growing customer base in the convenience retail and foodservice sectors of the market.
Mike Sheldon, managing director at Medina Dairy, says, “This major investment at Watson’s will further enhance our ability to be a credible and competitive supplier of fresh milk and cream to major retailers. It will enable us to deliver greater operational flexibility and efficiencies, enhanced product segregation capabilities, and improved levels of customer service. Medina has already made strong progress winning major fresh milk supply contracts with the likes of Iceland Foods and Sainsbury’s, and this latest investment I believe will enhance our offer to both existing and new customers.”
