Crumlin bakers Brace’s has announced 26 new production posts at its Rogerstone bakery
The news comes a month short of the first anniversary of Brace’s takeover of the former Warburtons site.
In September last year, Warburtons said its Rogerstone bakery would close with staff facing redundancy. Brace’s – which has two further plants, in Croespenmaen and Pen-y-Fan, Crumlin – opened discussions to save the Newport bakery.
Following a £4m sale, Brace’s, which has a 109 year history and a total workforce of 350, began production there in February. The new posts will increase Brace’s workforce at the Rogerstone site to 77.
The family-owned firm currently makes sandwich bread at Rogerstone for a company producing sandwiches for major high street retailers. The success of this contract means staffing of extra shifts is required.
Jonathan Brace, Director at Brace’s, said: “Following the purchase of the Rogerstone bakery in February 2011, Brace’s has won further business, which has led to a need to expand the workforce at the site to cope with demand.
“Rogerstone currently produces for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, but will become operational for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week following a period of recruitment and training for two additional shifts. This will provide a growth platform for Christmas and beyond.”
Mark Brace, Managing Director of Brace’s said: “We are delighted to be able to announce further employment at the Rogerstone site. From the time of transfer of the bakery, it has always been our intention to build on the highly competent workforce there.”
In the last six months, Brace’s Bakery was ranked the highest Welsh company in the Sunday Times newspaper’s Profit Track 100 compilation, which lists the UK’s fastest-growing privately-owned businesses.
Last month Brace’s was also selected for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper’s Britain’s Brightest Businesses supplement, which celebrated the 1,000 mid-sized UK companies to best weather the economic downturn. Brace’s also won Wales Business Insider magazine’s Made in Wales Food and Drink Award.
Mark Brace added: “We have a strong presence in Wales and the South West, which is continuing to grow as we consolidate our position of the number one selling bread maker in the region. These new shifts at our Rogerstone site are key to our future expansion and will allow us to further secure our presence in south Wales. We are grateful to our dedicated and highly efficient staff, which has contributed in no small way to our current success.”
Newport City Council has welcomed the announcement.