Mars to spend £23 million on UK factory expansion
Mars Food is set to spend £23 million on its Norfolk factory thanks to the success of its Uncle Ben’s rice brand.
This move sees the company recovering well from the product recall it was forced to undertake earlier in the year. The American company has operated in the UK for 80 years and in King’s Lynn for 53. It spent £6 million on its offices last year, and will now splash nearly four times that on manufacturing.
This investment will add 28 full-time roles to its 300-strong team, and a new production line for 2017.
The company attributes the ability to make this investment to the success of its ready-to-heat Uncle Ben’s rice, making a manufacturing expansion necessary.
The offices built last year boast a ‘living green’ roof, gym, and canteen. It was designed to attain US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification, and in doing so reduces energy and water usage to an absolute minimum.