UK – Muller UK and Ireland has announced that it has invested US$62 million (£50 million) in capacity expansion at its Telford manufacturing site in the UK.
The investment includes building a chilled yogurt manufacturing facility with capacity to produce 500 million pots each year.
Creating 65 new jobs, the expansion enables Müller to meet growing demand from consumers for branded and private label yogurts made with milk from British farms.
According to the company, it has doubled the size of its Telford site as well as increasing its capacity to make products in formats including big pots, split pots and regular fruited yogurts.
Muller has invested in the installation of three new state-of-the-art production lines, the modernisation of three existing lines, the installation of an energy efficient cooling facility and a new automated high bay warehouse.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved at Telford,” said Bergen Merey, Managing Director at Müller Yogurt & Desserts.
“This is a major step towards reducing the UK’s dependence on imported yogurt products, and it gives us a significant competitive advantage.
“We have acted to enable us to increase our share of both the private label and branded yogurt category.
“We intend to leverage our greater capabilities to support the growth of our private label business whilst we continue to innovate and drive our core branded products like Müllerlight and Müller Corner.”
The expansion is an addition to Muller’s major yogurt and chilled desserts manufacturing sites at Market Drayton and Minsterley.
With an expected growth in the category, Muller said it will pursue potential further increases in production at the site of up to 700 million pots in future years.
“Yogurt is at the heart of the dairy category, with consumers asking for a wide range of delicious branded and private label yogurts that are made with their needs in mind – offering everyday dairy goodness, indulgence, protein, lactose free, natural, fat free and reduced or zero added sugar,” added Bergen.
“As a result of this investment, Müller customers will benefit from increased levels of innovation, choice and capabilities to make healthy, great tasting yogurt products made in Britain with milk from British farms.”
