Britvic Ireland has announced a €6m (£5.16m) investment at its Ballygowan facility in County Limerick to increase production of the mineral water brand.
The investment will create 28 jobs in Newcastle West, County Limerick and grow production capacity at the site by 20%.
It would “provide additional bottling capacity for the equivalent of 50 million fully recycled and recyclable bottles”, Britvic Ireland said.
Ballygowan bottles have been made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic (rPET), since a €2m investment in the Newcastle West facility in 2021.
Demand for Ballgowan had “grown steadily in recent years” with several products in “strong double-digit volume growth compared to pre-Covid levels”, the company said.
The brand has been produced and bottled at source since 1984 in Newcastle West.
Kevin Donnelly, MD at Britvic Ireland, said: “This investment will create new manufacturing roles for the local area, provide additional bottling capacity for the equivalent of 50 million 500ml bottles of Ballygowan made from fully recycled and recyclable plastic, enhance production capability, and underpin the strong sustainability credentials of our site.
“We are incredibly proud of this latest milestone in Ballygowan’s journey as Ireland’s most loved and leading bottled water brand, and the benefits this investment will return for Britvic Ireland and the wider community in Newcastle West.”
News of the investment was marked by a visit to the site by Ireland’s minister for enterprise, trade and employment, Simon Coveney.
Coveney said: “I warmly welcome the creation of 28 new manufacturing roles at the facility, and the strategic investment in the sustainable, long-term production of Ballygowan mineral water. “Ballygowan bottles have been made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic (rPET), since a €2m investment in the Newcastle West facility in 2021.
It comes after Britvic last month said it would invest £22.5m to expand the output of its factory in Beckton, east London.
That investment is set to create 18 full-time jobs and increase capacity at the site by 30%.
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