Coca-Cola Enterprises has unveiled a new bottled water brand which is to be manufactured and bottled at its Morpeth site in a £3.5m investment.
Production of glacéau smartwater, sourced from spring water in Morpeth, will begin imminently in a move which will result in a £3.5m investment in local manufacturing across the Northumberland facility.
The investment includes updates to production lines with new water treatment processes being added to the Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) site.
CCE will also be investing in its staff, including funding a training and development programme for existing employees to assist skills development in areas of new technology and processes.
Pete Smith, operations director at CCE Morpeth, said the commencement of production is an exciting new development for the plant.
“The factory already has a proud history of producing high quality water for consumers across Great Britain and we are very much looking forward to bringing another to the market,” he said.
Additional site upgrades will take place as part of a two-year investment plan, will include the installation of new blending and mixing equipment, and the introduction of labelling technology.
Mr Smith added: “At CCE we are dedicated to supporting local manufacturing across the country and the investment in our staff at Morpeth, as well as new equipment and production technology, is a statement of our commitment to this region.”
The announcement of glaceau smartwater production in the UK makes it the first European market to introduce it, and its launch is expected to contribute to the continued growth of the £1.38bn domestic bottled water sector.
