Avara Foods, one of the UK’s leading food companies, will create an additional 150 jobs in the West Midlands following a £4.7 million investment into a new factory in Wednesbury.
Work on the facility is already underway, and the investment will go towards a full refurbishment (inside and outside) and new food processing machinery.
The site will be technology-led, with automated processes to reduce the number of manual and repetitive tasks.
Staff recruitment has already started.
Commenting on the company’s new venture, general manager at Avara Rob Bywater said:
“This is an exciting time for Avara and I’m really pleased to confirm that we’ll have a new facility in Wednesbury.
The site will be a well invested modern food manufacturing operation and increases our presence in a region where we already have a strong reputation for success. And it is our people that are the key to that success; we know that they want a fair wage, the opportunity to learn and earn more over time, and more than anything else to be genuinely valued and looked after.
“I am very proud that we offer this and so much more. It really is a great time to join us.”
On expanding in the West Midlands in particular, Avara’s operations director Phil Davidson said the company values the “skill, commitment and loyalty of the people here”.
“It’s a big commitment on our part, but it makes perfect sense to double down in a part of the country where we’ve enjoyed a lot of success,” he added.
“I know the last 18 months have been pretty tough but we’ve worked really hard to keep the team at Avara safe and, by offering real careers, not just jobs, I hope that this is another piece of good news for the community.”
