Minister to get taste of new sweet factory on trip north

Sweet manufacturer Haribo is unveiling its plans for the factory which is set to be built on land at Castleford close to the M62 motorway.

The Government backed the project two years ago with money from its Regional Growth Fund and preparation work on the site is now under way.

The company has already recruited 15 staff as part of the expansion project.

Mr Cable said: “Haribo’s investment in Yorkshire, supported by £6.4m from the Regional Growth Fund, is a boost for the region, creating 286 jobs and increasing manufacturing activity.

“The Regional Growth Fund is supporting firms, small and large, across the country to expand, complementing the Government’s industrial strategy.”

Haribo already employs 540 people at its existing plant in Pontefract.

Construction of the new factory is expected to be completed by April 2015, with sweets coming off the production line later in the year.

Once up and running, the plant covering 30,700 square metres will produce 48,000 tonnes of sweets every year.

Haribo UK managing director Herwig Vennekens said: “After two years of planning it’s great to finally get to the stage where we are setting the foundations that support our plans for growth within the UK.

“Whilst our new factory marks a major investment for our company we are pleased that our vision has also been supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, without which our plans would not have been realised.

“This investment in a new facility will enhance Haribo’s production capabilities and help us to meet the growing demand for our products.

“Our existing factory is near capacity and so this new site will allow for progressive expansion, enabling us to continue to extend our offering and to develop new and innovative products.

“Haribo has performed extremely well within the UK market during the last 12 months, and over the last six years it has experienced double digit growth year-on-year.”

The Regional Growth Fund is a pot of Government cash used to support projects that create jobs in areas in the past highly dependent on public sector jobs.

Mr Cable’s visit to the Haribo factory site is part of a wider trip to the region today.