Coca-Cola welcomes First Minister
NICOLA FINDLAY
The First Minister marked a £23million investment in manufacturing in East Kilbride.
Nicola Sturgeon officially opened new production lines at Coca-Cola in College Milton which will see 18 new jobs created.
She was joined by Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) VicePresident and general manager, Leendert den Hollander.
The two new production lines at the East Kilbride plant, which is celebrating 55 years, are dedicated to making Capri-Sun, one of the largest kids’ juice drinks brands in the UK.
They are state-of-the-art robotic multi-pack fillers made bespoke for the site, which employs 170 people, and use the latest energy-saving technology to reduce energy use and water consumption.
The company is also continuing to invest in its Scottish Apprenticeship programme each year and currently has four apprentices with a further two starting this month. It will also continue to work with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), piloting four foundation apprenticeships in association with Glasgow Kelvin College.
During her visit the First Minister said: “I welcome CCEP’s commitment to supporting manufacturing in Scotland by investing £23 million in its East Kilbride operations. This crucial investment demonstrates CCEP’s ongoing commitment to manufacturing excellence and innovation in Scotland, creating 18 new jobs whilst up-skilling the existing workforce.
“With the East Kilbride site celebrating 55 years, this is further evidence of the importance of our manufacturing industry to Scotland’s future success.”
In addition to the new Capri-Sun lines this year, other investments have included a £2.3 million water treatment plant – saving nine million litres per year.
The site was also the first of its kind to house an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) holding up to 14,000 pallets. This system is now operational at three other sites across CCEP’s network in the UK.
In 2012, the site received recognition for the positive steps taken to reducing carbon emissions. It includes the move to become a “zero landfill” operations site, aiming to recycle or reuse as much generated waste as possible.
John McCafferty, operations director at East Kilbride, said: “As a truly local business, we are proud to manufacture some of the nation’s favourite drinks – right here from our factory in East Kilbride. This recent investment demonstrates Coca-Cola European Partners’ long-term commitment to the area and to manufacturing in Scotland as a whole.
“Investing in our people is of the upmost importance to us – helping to continually improve the quality, efficiency and sustainability of our operations, as well as ensuring we can continue to support the growth of a team of highly skilled and dedicated people.
“We’ve enjoyed working with the local East Kilbride community for 55 years now. Investments such as this really help to elevate our business capabilities and support the manufacturing and distribution network in Scotland more broadly.”
Leendert den Hollander, cice-president and general manager, Coca-Cola European Partners GB, said: “East Kilbride is a great example of the legacy that our local sites can provide our communities while remaining focused on delivering manufacturing excellence throughout our operations in Great Britain.”