£6.5 Million Plant Gives Added Sparkle to English Spring Water Company
A new bottling line is set to boost production of Harrogate Spring Water, the UK’s fastest-growing independent bottled water brand. Harrogate Water Brands has made the £6.5 million investment in the new plant with support from Enterprise Ventures SME Loans. The company has increased sales by more than 60 per cent in the past two years following its investment in a new line in 2014. It has now replaced its original glass production line with a combination line, capable of handling both glass and PET plastic.
The Harrogate site is one of the most environmentally efficient in the world and the new state-of-the-art Krones technology will provide greater production flexibility and substantially increase capacity. Harrogate Water is the number one British premium spring water and is the official water of Royal Ascot.
Harrogate Water Brands began production in 2002, building on the town’s 400-year history of water production and now exports to countries worldwide.
The company has secured a £1 million investment package from Enterprise Ventures SME Loans.
Jonathan Craig, Investment Director with Enterprise Ventures, part of Mercia Technologies PLC, says: “Harrogate Spring Water is the fastest-growing independent brand in its sector and the company is successfully competing with the multi-national players, a considerable achievement given their large marketing budgets. The previous investment to increase production has clearly paid off, allowing the sales effort to push forward and opening up new routes to market both at home and abroad. This new investment will further boost capacity and should help the company take a step up to the next level.”
CAPTION:
Pictured (from left): Damien Wilkinson, finance director of Harrogate Water Brands; Jonathan Craig of Enterprise Ventures; and James Cain OBE, the company’s MD.