Cadbury owner hails £438.5m in gross value added to West Midlands economy
Mondelēz International, makers and bakers of iconic brands including Cadbury, OREO and Maynards Bassetts, has said that the West Midlands accounted for almost half of its total contribution to the UK economy last year.
Three of the company’s nine UK sites are situated in the West Midlands creating 2,804 jobs directly, including Bournville Manufacturing, Marlbrook Milk Processing Facility and Minworth Distribution Centre.
Through direct, indirect and induced GVA, the West Midlands accounted for almost half (over £438.5m), of the business’ total contribution the UK economy last year (£933m) in overall Gross Economic Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy.
Forming part of the wider Mondelēz International supply chain, a further 1,320 jobs across the West Midlands are indirectly supported through supply chain procurement, including both Minworth Distribution (part of The Culina Group) and Marlbrook Milk Process Facility which processes 500,000 litres of fresh milk every day, 365 days a year.
Following a £15m investment in Bournville in 2021 to expand chocolate making capacity, the site can now produce up to an additional 125 million large sharing bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk annually. Currently 5.5 million blocks of chocolate, 400 million chocolate buttons and 1 million Wispa bars are produced every day.
Roberto Gambaccini, manufacturing director, UK Chocolate, Mondelēz International, said: “As the heart and home of Cadbury, I’m hugely proud that our Midlands sites play such an integral role in the overall contribution of our UK business impact to our local communities and economy.”
Since 2017, Mondelēz International has utilised the UK Apprenticeship Levy to create new pathways into the business, totalling an investment of £2.5m. To date the business has employed 75 apprentices at Bournville and Marlbrook.
Andy Street, Mayor for West Midlands, said: “It’s good to see Mondelēz making this commitment given Cadbury’s Birmingham roots. By investing in Bournville, Mondelēz is creating job opportunities for local people, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of talent benefitting from the apprenticeship programme in the months and years ahead.”
Mondelēz UK also employs more than 600 food scientists, technologists and chemists across its two research and development sites in Reading and Bournville.
