UK dried fruit and nut business Kestrel Foods has announced that it will invest more than £750,000 into new processing and packaging technology in 2015 in an attempt to drive export sales.
The Northern Ireland-based company, which owns the Forest Feast and Acti-Snack brands, is introducing innovative production and packaging machinery and will create 11 new jobs.
The company’s managing director, Michael Hall, said: “Our objective in making this investment is to strengthen our presence in new and existing international markets.
“By enhancing our production facilities, we will be able to increase production capacity, introduce new packaging formats and develop bespoke products to meet the needs of our target customers at retail, wholesale and foodservice levels. We will be creating 11 new positions including a new foodservice manager to help deliver this strategy with maximum impact.”
The business, which has established solid platforms in Europe and Hong Kong, has identified a number of emerging markets such as Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Italy and Asia-Pacific. It now wants to enhance its global position, following both domestic and international sales growth in 2014.
Mr Hall added: “This investment represents our ongoing commitment to innovation – ensuring we stay ahead of the curve, and the competition – in an increasingly fast paced industry.”
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