Multi-million pound boost in facilities for Radnor Hills
Soft drinks company Radnor Hills has opened its expanded facilities after a multi-million investment.
The company, based in Powys, welcomed Lesley Griffiths, Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister to its Knighton site to celebrate the expansion.
The investment has been used to build new production facilities and a quality assurance laboratory as well as to create a new £2.5 million state-of-the-art office complex for staff and a conference facility from an old agricultural building on the site.
Upgrades have been made to a number of lines in the factory including a new £750,000 labeller and conveyer system.
A £4.5 million glass line investment has been completed in three phases, which includes the ability to produce cardboard cluster packs for retailers.
And £1.5 million has been invested in an additional filler for a PET line while £750,000 has been spent on a new steam system.
Radnor founder and Managing Director William Watkins said: “These are exciting times and we’re delighted to have the support of the Welsh Government and to have welcomed Lesley Griffiths here.
“We are committed to ongoing investment to ensure that our facilities are world class. With the opening of our new office complex, we are also investing in our brilliant team of people.
"During the last two years, more than 100 new jobs have been created and further job opportunities and apprenticeships are available throughout 2023, aligned with our expansion plans.
“We are also committed to environmental sustainability. Radnor is a zero to landfill site and our environmental management system and site have been certified to ISO 14001 standards.
“We’ve recently received planning permission for a £1.8 million solar farm to power our manufacturing site. This will produce two megawatts of power which is 21% of the company’s energy requirement and will support our pledge to the planet to become more sustainable and to protect the environment around us.”
Mr Watkins gave Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister a tour of the new facilities as well as product samples to try, including Radnor’s award-winning Heartsease Farm brand.
Independent and family owned, Radnor Hills, which was established in 1990 and has a turnover of £58 million (up from £41 million in 2021), produces over 400 million drinks every year.
Its brands include Radnor Water, Radnor Splash, Heartsease Farm, Radnor Fizz and Radnor Fruits.
