In West Bromwich, a cutting-edge dairy processing plant is nearing completion, promising to revolutionize milk production in the Black Country. Freshways, an independent dairy supplier, is finalizing its £25 million state-of-the-art facility located at the Park Rose Industrial Estate.
This new factory is geared to handle an impressive 500 million litres of fresh British milk each year—enough to fill 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. With operations set to begin within weeks, the facility is expected to create at least 200 new jobs, with further hiring anticipated as production ramps up.
Supporting Freshways' expansive national distribution network, the plant will receive milk from hundreds of British dairy farms for processing. The finished products will be transported to one of 15 distribution centers and supplied to over 15,000 food service and retail customers.
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A significant aspect of this project involves specialist machinery sourced from India. Engineering experts from IDMC, Gujarat, manufactured over 200 customized pieces of dairy processing equipment, including five massive stainless steel silos. Each silo weighs 17 tonnes and can hold a combined capacity of 625,000 litres of milk.
A team of Indian engineers meticulously oversaw the installation process. Their leaders recently visited West Bromwich to formally approve the final stages of the installation, marking a milestone in UK-India trade relations following the countries' Free Trade Agreement.
Freshways Managing Director Bali Nijjar expressed enthusiasm about the project’s progress: “This investment represents a major step forward for our business and for the West Midlands. The teamwork between engineers and contractors has been extraordinary, and welcoming our Indian partners to witness our milk production begin is truly exciting.”
IDMC Managing Director Rajkumar Malik highlighted the significance of the collaboration: “Seeing months of designing, manufacturing, and installation culminate in this successful venture is a privilege. We hope this partnership kickstarts many more between India and the UK.”
The investment aligns with regional growth strategies championed by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, who visited the plant last October. Freshways, established in 1991 as a family business, also supports local youth employment initiatives, emphasizing the importance of fostering engineering skills among students to sustain future industry success.