Kerry Ingredients offers Shropshire jobs hope

Dozens of jobs could be created at one of Shropshire's largest factories, with bosses today revealing their ambitious plans to expand production at the county site.

Kerry Group has told its 106 employees at Okehampton in Devon that it may close that plant, with all the site's manufacturing moving to the Kerry Ingredients factory at Burford, near Tenbury Wells.

The Devon workers would all be offered jobs in Shropshire, but bosses from Kerry Group, which is based in Ireland, expect to have to appoint new staff to add to their existing 250 employees at the Shropshire site.

The firm also expects to build new facilities, if granted planning permission.

Both the Devon and Shropshire factories make products and ingredients for the ice cream, dairy and bakery industries.

Frank Hayes, director of corporate affairs for the Kerry Group, said: "We informed employees on Friday at Okehampton that we are undertaking a review of our business.

"The production site in Okehampton is quite limited and as such growth is limited too, while Tenbury Wells fits with our plans for future development. So we have begun consultations with a view to formalising our business plan.

"If that's the decision, we would begin to transfer production in the final quarter of 2011 with the full closure of Okehampton in the first quarter of 2012.

"That would be good news for Tenbury Wells and would mean new investment and an expansion and upgrading of the existing facilities there."

It comes as Wynnstay farm and trade store prepares to open its doors in Welshpool next month creating a couple of jobs.