Kellanova’s investment in Wrexham site creates Europe’s largest cereal factory

October 3, 2024 Editor

Kellanova revealed its plans to allocate £75 million towards the enhancement of its cereal production plant in Wrexham, North Wales.

It is the company’s largest single investment in British cereal production in over 30 years, the company formerly recognised as Kellogg Company said.

The factory opened in 1978 and is Kellanova’s largest Special K plant in the world. Other brands, including All Bran, Bran Flakes and Fruit ’n Fibre, are also produced at the site.

The production of other Kellogg’s cereal brands made in the UK – including Corn Flakes, and Crunchy Nut – will transition to Wrexham as the company winds down production at its Trafford Park factory, which is due to close in late 2026 as previously announced.

The Wrexham plant’s current annual cereal production will more than double, establishing it as the largest cereal manufacturing site in Europe, producing around 1.5 million boxes of iconic cereal brands every day.

As well as increasing capacity, two new advanced production lines will enhance the sustainability of cereal manufacturing by enabling use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to lower energy consumption during the production process.

This will help reduce the CO₂ emissions of Kellanova’s cereal production by 11% annually – the equivalent of 600,000 trees – as part of its Better Days Promise sustainability programme. The new production technology also means that more of the raw materials, for example rice, can be used, delivering a ten-fold reduction in food waste across the supply chain.

New packaging lines will also be added, and existing production lines will be upgraded to improve the efficiency of cereal production at the factory.

Kellanova said the new lines offer increased flexibility too, allowing the company to quickly introduce new cereal formats and ingredients in future to meet evolving consumer tastes.

The investment will lead to the creation of at least 130 jobs in Wrexham and support career development for the 350 existing colleagues based there as well as creating continued employment opportunities for colleagues in its Manchester plant. It will also fund significant upgrades to the site’s training facilities as part of the company’s drive to provide its employees with opportunities to develop and advance their careers.

Kellanova’s UK managing director, Chris Silcock, said: “This investment is a major commitment to cereal production in the UK. By bringing together the manufacturing of all our major breakfast cereals at one site in Wrexham, we can make significant leaps forward in the efficiency, quality and sustainability of our operation. It sets us up for future success and opens up new possibilities for our iconic brands to continue delighting our customers and consumers.

“This is also a huge investment in our people. We’re very pleased that we will be creating at least 130 new roles in Wrexham, as well as improving the existing facilities for our colleagues. The experience and capabilities of our skilled team at Wrexham will be crucial to the success of this transformation, which is a significant milestone in the evolution of our business.

“We look forward to making Wrexham the home of our cereal production for many generations to come.”

Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, praised the investment boosting jobs while Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: Kellanova’s plans are another “huge vote of confidence in the economy of north east Wales” following Eren Holdings’ announcement at Shotton Mill.