Welsh Government
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Princes Gate Spring Water embarks on most significant investment to date
Princes Gate Spring Water is investing £5.5m in a major expansion project with support from the Welsh Government that will double staff numbers and more than triple production volumes.
The Narberth based business is expanding its production facility, investing in a new state of the art bottling line capable of producing 37,000 bottles an hour – increasing annual production from approximately 85 million bottles to a potential 370 million - and sinking two new bore holes.
The expansion – which is essential to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for its organic spring water - is supported by £250,000 business finance from the Welsh Government. Over the next three years it will create 25 new jobs bringing the total employed on site to over 50.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said:
"It's always good news to hear of indigenous businesses continuing to grow and create jobs and I am delighted the Welsh Government is able to support this latest very significant expansion.
"The Welsh Government has prioritised the food and drink industry as one of our key development sectors, and we aim to increase annual sales by 30% by the year 2020 to £7 billion."
"This investment will create a range of news jobs in rural Wales and help Princes Gate Spring Water - one of our iconic Welsh brands - reach new markets both in the UK and overseas and increase turnover."
Operations director Endaf Edwards said:
"This has been the most significant investment and expansion since we started 24 years ago and support from the Welsh Government means we will be able to take advantage of a major new business opportunity. Without this support we would not have been able to take on these new customers and the additional business and jobs would have been lost to Wales.”
The family business was established in 1991 as a farm diversification project when they discovered an organic spring on their land. Princes Gate Spring Water is available in still/carbonated/flavoured/non-flavoured varieties and a sister business produces a cooler range.
The business has seen consistent growth over the past seven years in volume and value, with demand growing by 20% year on year over the past two years. New customers will double demand within the next twelve months.
It has a UK wide customer base, supplying leading supermarkets and is now started exporting to Dubai, Japan and Hong Kong.
Work on the new 33K sq metre extension to include the new production area and goods area has already commenced with a target completion date of the 3rd week in April 2015.
