Mineral water firm creating 40 new jobs with £20m investment

A MINERAL water company with production units across the globe is to set up a new £20m plant in Staffordshire, creating 40 new jobs.

French company Roxane is setting up a new base at Fradley Business Park, near Lichfield, after receiving help from the inward investment arm of Staffordshire County Council.

The plant will pump water from a source less than two miles away and once fully operational the facility will be able to produce 68,000 bottles of water an hour.

Roxane is also working with the county council’s highways team for the installation of its piping network. The operation should be up and running by the summer.

Cllr Ben Adams, cabinet member for economic growth and enterprise, said Roxane’s decision to locate in Staffordshire was another positive step for the county’s strategy in attracting new investment.

“Our inward investment team has worked hard with the company to ensure the conditions were right to make its move here a success,” he said.

Lichfield District Council also played a strong part in the decision by easing the planning process for Roxane, he added.

“This further demonstrates our red carpet approach to global investors. It’s another success story for Staffordshire and enhances our reputation as the place to do business.

“We are also seeing the creation of another product made in Staffordshire which will be shipped out to consumers across the world,” said Cllr Adams.

The bottling plant design is unique in that around 60,000 sq ft is new build joined to an existing former aircraft hanger that will provide a warehousing and dispatch facility.