NEWS ARCHIVE

Sutcliffe builds second factory for Yorkshire soft drinks giant

May 14, 2015

Sutcliffe Construction has finished its second factory for the rapidly-expanding soft drinks manufacturer, Cawingredients at its head office in Leeming Bar. The new factory of 8,800 sqm (95,000 sqft) has been designed to function as a product mixing operation as well as a warehouse. Cawingredients’ main operation on the same site is 15,300 sqm (165,000 sqft) and was built by Sutcliffe in 2010.

The new additional factory is part of a £45 million investment by Cawingredients at its Leeming Bar site in North Yorkshire which, over a three-year period, will create more than 100 new jobs and boost production and warehouse capacity. Construction involved a cut and fill operation and an extremely fast turnaround – the project schedule was 10 months from request for proposal to completion. As well as the new factory, Sutcliffe also built a complete new roadway and car parking facility for 150 cars.

James Sutcliffe, managing director, Sutcliffe Construction, said: “We believe in building smart and there’s no better testament to the quality of Sutcliffe’s project management, design and construction skills than being given another complex multi-million pound project by Cawingredients. The biggest challenge in this project was the time frame. Cawingredients was keen to proceed with its expansion plans so design work that would normally take months for a project of this size and quality was done in weeks.”

Cawingredients, set up in 2010, occupies a 26-acre site and provides a range of manufacturing, bottling, packaging and product development and other advisory services to major drinks manufacturers. It had a turnover of £44.5 million in 2013.

Andrew J Cawthray, Chairman & Chief Executive, Cawingredients said: “Our experience of working with Sutcliffe on the first build gave us the confidence that they could deliver on time and that they understand the specifications we are working to. The Sutcliffe team as a whole bring added value to any design parameter. They are competitive and not precious about any changes or additions we want or need to make.”

Sutcliffe Construction is a principal contractor and expert steel frame fabricator that builds all over the north of England and beyond. It believes in building smart to add value, forge successful partnerships and create a finished product that exceeds expectations. Sutcliffe has turned this approach into a way of working that has won it loyal customers nationwide and a growing portfolio of commercial and industrial builds up to £6 million.

James added: “We believe in being active partners in every project. As principal contractors, we work hard to understand what’s important to each client and their business and what are their objectives and values. We excel at providing design and build improvements based on a ‘value-engineering’ concept that is more cost-effective and reduces build time. Having our own steel fabrication factory also helps us control what can be a critical aspect of a build.”

Sutcliffe has wide experience in the manufacturing sector. It has recently completed builds for multinationals Cinetic Landis and Aggregate Industries, as well as local companies such as Advanced Component Technology, Byworth Boilers and Crown Paints.

Cawingredients Ltd flagship facility in Leeming Bar comprises a state-of-the-art production plant, head office, research and development centre and warehouse for ingredients and finished product completed in 2010 by Sutcliffe working with Bowman Riley Architects. The 12-month project included a ‘cut and fill’ operation of 36,000 cubic metres to level the site and four steel spans totalling 135m with ‘goal post’ bracing to optimise space. 

Cawingredients is Andrew Cawthray’s re-entry into the soft drinks category having sold his firm Macaw Soft drinks to the Cott Corporation in 2005 for £76 million.