ABP to invest £17m to redevelop meat facility in Scotland

ABP Food has announced plans to redevelop its Scottish meat plant via an investment of £17m.

The processing site’s redevelopment is slated to include an extension and upgrade of its chilled and dry goods storage areas, along with its maturation and meat production facilities.

A variety of staff amenities will also be upgraded as part of the initiative.

The upgrade project is being supported by the Scottish Government’s Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant scheme.

The meat plant is expected to create 80 new employment opportunities in Scotland’s Perth region upon the completion of the redevelopment.

ABP UK Division managing director Tom Kirwan said: “We look forward to beginning work and transforming Perth into one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the UK.

“The improvements will benefit everyone, from our farmer suppliers through to our colleagues and the local economy.

“It will create eighty additional jobs onsite and provide significant employment during the construction phase.”

The company previously invested £3m in new cold storage and refrigeration facilities at the plant last year.

ABP has been active in Scotland since 1982 and originally acquired the Perth facility in 1997.

ABP Perth works with 1,600 farmers and recently began to source all of its electricity from renewable sources.

The facility employs a total of 280 personnel.

ABP Perth has also played a key role in helping ABP achieve quadruple accreditation from the Carbon Trust for the reduction of its environmental impact.

Carbon Trust Standard accreditation is awarded to business organisations after a verification process that reviews their energy and water use, CO₂ emissions and waste output.

ABP also secured a three-year €50m supply contract from Asian restaurant chain Wowprime Corporation last month.

ABP will supply beef to its restaurants across China under the deal.