Above the skyline of Peterborough and what at first glance seems like an action thriller being filmed, an American company display their ‘can do’ approach to getting the job done.
On the hottest day of the year, a Saturday too, Crown Holdings deployed a helicopter to lift materials into place on the roof of their 625,000 square feet, £150m canning factory nearing completion at Woodston.
Production is scheduled to begin at the plant this year and with tight deadlines to meet, the company brought in a Bell 205A-1 helicopter to assist.
The new factory is being built on the 30-acre site of the former Mars Petcare site in Shrewsbury Avenue, Woodston, for Crown Packaging’s Crown Bevcan and the development, to be known as Delta Park, will create up to 280 jobs.
The former Mars factory was demolished in 2014 and UK-based commercial developer Trebor Developments bought the site in 2020 together with its partner Hillwood, a US-based commercial real estate developer.
A spokesperson for Crown Holdings said: “Beverage cans are the world’s most sustainable and recycled beverage packaging option and are increasingly preferred by customers and consumers alike.
“A growing proportion of new beverages in the U.K. is being introduced in cans, and this new facility demonstrates Crown’s commitment to meeting expanding customer requirements.”
Construction on the Peterborough plant began last year “with the first line expected to commence production during the second quarter of 2023.
“Additional lines are planned in a phased manner to reach over three billion units of annual capacity.”
The facility will become Europe’s largest beverage can manufacturing facility upon completion.
WATCH: Massive new Peterborough factory will create 280 jobs
The site previously housed a manufacturing facility operated by pet food producer MARS Petcare that was demolished in 2014.
The former Mars factory was demolished in 2014 and UK-based commercial developer Trebor Developments bought the site in 2020 together with its partner Hillwood, a US-based commercial real estate developer.
