Welsh Economy Minister Edwina Hart will visit the Village Bakery in Wrexham today (Monday October 28) with UK Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Green to announce more than 60 new jobs at the rapidly-expanding business.
More than 20 new jobs have already been created at Village Bakery – with a further 40 to follow – as a result of a £1.8m expansion supported by a £565,780 grant from the Welsh Government. The investment will more than double staff numbers at the site and enable the business to increase capacity, invest in equipment and introduce additional lines to take advantage of new contracts from major supermarkets.
Mrs Hart said: “This is excellent news. This investment and expansion will not only support the growth of the business and is already creating new jobs, but will bring additional benefits to the Welsh economy through increased supply chain activity.
“ I am pleased financial support from the Agri Food Development Fund enabled The Village Bakery to respond swiftly to maximise commercial opportunities as they arose with their key customers. It is another example of how the Welsh Government is helping business growth and job creation.”
During a tour of the facility MD Robin Jones spoke of the company’s ambitions to grow the business and said:” We were recently recognised as Wales’ fastest growing company and have a desire to continue this rapid growth and have an appetite for expansion.
“We are developing plans that include a new training and innovation centre with the facilities to train the next generation of bakers to ensure the sustainability and long term future of the business and are also considering proposals for a new 60,000 sq ft bakery.”
Mr Jones said support from the Welsh Government’s Agri-Food Development Fund had been essential for their recent expansion.
He commented:” We would not have been able to grow the business as we have without this support and the owners are very grateful. It illustrates that with government support we can grow a business and survive and flourish during an economic downturn.”
The Village Bakery, which is based in a 30,000 sq ft unit on Wrexham Industrial Estate, began trading in 2011 and has seen turnover increase from £400,000 to £6million. The funding was to support the creation of 63 new jobs – twenty have already been created, with a further forty three to be created, which will bring total employment on site to 118.
The facility produces baked products, including Welsh cakes, scones and pancakes both frozen unbaked for in store bakeries and baked and wrapped for retail.
Mrs Hart is hosting a visit to North Wales by Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Green, who retires from Government in December. In addition to The Village Bakery they are visiting Toyota’s Deeside engine manufacturing plant and RWE Innogy’s facility at Port of Mostyn. They will also co-host a dinner for SMEs in the region in the evening.