£25m West Bromwich Milk Factory to Create 200 Jobs, Process 900 Million Pints Annually

Freshways, the UK’s largest independent dairy supplier, has invested £25 million in a new state-of-the-art milk and dairy processing factory in West Bromwich, expected to create at least 200 new jobs. The facility will pasteurise and package nearly 900 million pints of fresh milk annually, enough to fill 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools, supporting British dairy farming and bolstering the food supply chain. The project features over 200 pieces of specialist machinery manufactured by IDMC in Gujarat, India, marking one of the first major deals since the UK-India free trade agreement was signed in July, with Indian engineers overseeing installation and training. The investment aligns with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker’s Growth Plan and Youth Employment Plan, emphasizing recruitment of local young people and advanced manufacturing as key regional economic drivers. Freshways’ managing director highlighted the factory's strategic location for efficient collection and processing of British milk, underscoring confidence in the West Midlands as a prime business investment hub. The collaboration with Indian engineering firms is seen as a significant example of the benefits from strengthened trade ties between the UK and India.