Pilgrim’s UK has completed a £5m investment programme to deliver a series of operational and sustainability enhancements to increase efficiency and capacity at its King’s Lynn site in Norfolk.
Over the past 24 months, the JBS-owned pork giant has carried out a programme to improve yields and efficiency, and reduce waste at King’s Lynn.
The new technology has increased output by as much as 15% per week.
The site invested £800,000 in automation in its packing facility, which allows the site to pack single or combi-packs through one system, speeding up packaging lines by 12% to produce over three million packs per week.
Part of the investment also included the installation of new industry-leading meat slicing and packing technology, which has increased line capacity by 25%.
The site has also invested an additional £600,000 to drive greenhouse gas and energy reduction, such as replacing the vehicle fleet with electric alternatives, upgrades to refrigeration plants and LED lighting.
It had also committed to reducing plastics going direct to incineration and saved 31 tonnes of plastic so far this year, Pilgrim’s said.
“We have put a tremendous amount of effort and focus into our packaging lines to enhance our sustainability credentials,” said Dave Parker, site director at Pilgrim’s UK. “This investment forms the next step in our commitment to the ever-evolving UK market.”
As well as contributing to its greenhouse gas reduction plan, the investment forms part of the business’s efforts to maximise operational capacity across its sites, while unlocking the potential to deliver more innovative products to its customers.
“I am really proud that the site is continuing to set high standards in efficiency and increasing its capacity to meet demand, not just in our business but across the industry,” said Parker.
No comments yet