Vince Cable visits Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Wakefield site
Business Secretary Vince Cable has made a visit to Coca-Cola Enterprises’ manufacturing facility in Wakefield
According to the drinks giant, its Wakefield plant is Europe’s largest soft drinks plant.
As part of his first visit to the facility, Cable was given a full tour of the factory floor, taking in the production lines, capable of producing 6,000 cans and 3,200 bottles of soft drink every minute.
The Business Secretary received an overview of the recent investments made by CCE to develop the site, including a new £30m automated warehouse currently under construction and its dedicated on-site education centre. He also met with a number of apprentices currently working for the company in Wakefield.
Money maker
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Generating over £76 billion for the economy and employing around 400,000 people, the food and drink sector is an important part of our manufacturing base.
“With so much activity taking place on Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Wakefield site, including the creation of an education centre for local secondary and further education students, I’m pleased that the company is continuing to focus on limiting its carbon footprint and reducing waste.”
Ian Johnson, operations director at Coca-Cola Enterprises Wakefield, added: “At CCE it is our philosophy to grow more while using less, delivering our products to the market in a responsible and sustainable way.
“We pride ourselves on operating as one of the country’s leading manufacturers, while continuing to set and achieve ambitious sustainability goals. Wakefield is a fantastic example of CCE’s efforts to bring value to both the economy and the local area where we operate, and we were delighted to open our doors to the Business Secretary.”
