EOL invests in new employee facilities and oil tank farm, following a £24 million investment programme last June
Edible Oils Limited (EOL) has completed a significant investment programme at its Erith and Belvedere sites in south-east London, involving a major upgrade of the company’s employee welfare facilities and the installation of four new oil tanks.
EOL is a 50/50 joint venture between Princes Ltd and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and the UK’s largest producer of packaged oils for the retail sector, supplying over 50% of the UK’s customer own brand and branded seed oil volume. It is one of the largest employers in the London borough of Bexley.
The refurbishment of employee facilities at EOL’s Erith site includes construction of new changing and bathroom facilities, as well as first aid and multi-faith spaces to meet the needs of an expanding and increasingly diverse workforce. The existing office space and canteen have also been extended and redecorated.
At the nearby Belvedere site, four new 60,000 litre oil tanks have been installed and commissioned, significantly increasing EOL’s tank farm capacity. This additional on-site storage capacity has enhanced flexibility, which will enable EOL to respond quickly to evolving supply and demand factors, and enter categories with new products, such as bespoke blends. It will also improve efficiencies and reduce third-party storage costs.
The project quickly follows the completion of a £24 million investment programme at EOL’s Erith site in June 2022, which increased overall production capacity by around 50%.
Mark Church, Managing Director at Edible Oils, said: “We’re very pleased to have completed another important investment programme at EOL, which builds on the major transformation project we successfully concluded last year. The new facilities will help to promote employee wellbeing as our teams grow, while the expansion of our tank farm will deliver increased flexibility during what continues to be a turbulent time for the edible oils market. By enhancing our bulk storage capacity on-site, we can continue to meet customer and consumer needs as they evolve.”
The Erith site, which supplies over 100m litres of oil each year, bottles the market-leading brands of Crisp ‘n’ Dry, Flora and Mazola and also packs rapeseed, sunflower and corn oils for customer own brands. It forms the hub of EOL’s cooking oil production and is fully integrated with an adjacent refinery complex – one of the largest seed oil crushing and refining establishments in Europe.
EOL’s Belvedere site is the UK’s largest producer of olive and specialty oils, and also has the capability to pack balsamic vinegars and soy sauce.
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About Edible Oils Limited
Edible Oils Limited (EOL) is a joint venture between Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Princes Limited. It is the leading supplier of both branded and customer own brand bottled oils and white fats to the UK and mainland European markets.
About Princes
With a global supply network and a portfolio of branded and customer own brand products, Princes is one of the UK’s largest food and drink groups.
The company specialises in sourcing and manufacturing quality products and, as a leading international grocery supplier, millions of consumers across Europe buy its brands and products every day.
Princes’ head office is based in the UK (Liverpool) and the company also has a growing presence across continental Europe, which is managed from an office in The Netherlands. There are also dedicated sales and marketing offices in Poland, France and Italy and tuna processing facilities in Mauritius.
About ADM
At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow.
We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com
