Soft drinks manufacturer Clearly Drinks is toasting its best year in its 135-year history on the back of a £6.5m investment.
The Sunderland company, which manufactures its own branded products as well as providing a contract bottling service to some of the industry’s biggest names, is expecting revenue to double this year after tripling its capacity to 160m litres over the last three years.
As well as investing in a £6m canning line, the Southwick company has purchased a new pasteurisation unit and nitrogen dosing system, leading to the creation of 10 new jobs while also helping the company to seal its largest contract to date with a national wholesaler. The investment forms part of a wider investment programme which has seen the company expand into new markets and launch new product lines, while also increasing sustainability.
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Founded in 1885, Clearly Drinks started life as Fenwick & Sons before rebranding to Villa Drinks, a name synonymous with the North East and which is still remembered fondly by people across the region. The company now employs more than 100 people, and maintains strong local community links through its annual apprenticeship recruitment programme, supporting for local charities and working relationship with Sunderland College.
Chief executive Mick Howard, who joined the company in 2018, said the £6m investment is the largest in the company’s 135-year history, helping to futureproof the firm while bringing it in line with industry standards. He said: “To make such an investment during a pandemic was a brave and courageous decision however it is one that has really paid off for the business. Not only has it helped us bring new products to market but it has also seen our headcount exceed 100 employees and made the business much more agile. It’s a really exciting time for everyone involved with Clearly Drinks.”
The total investment, which is over £6.5m, was supported by the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project, which provided technical support to help the company integrate the new technology into its business, as well as a £50,000 grant towards the purchase of the new pasteurisation unit. Mr Howard said: “The support from SAM was fantastic. For a business like us, in the current landscape, it can be quite hard tapping into funding and support when you’re looking to scale and the team at the SAM Project really went above and beyond to help us.”
The SAM Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund, the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North East LEP area.
Roger O’Brien, project and technical lead at the SAM Project, added: “Clearly Drinks is a real North East success story and we’re delighted to have been able to support the company on its incredible growth journey.”
