120 jobs to be created at former Pinneys plant
Around 120 jobs will be created at the former Pinneys of Scotland plant in Annan in south-west Scotland after it was bought by a Russia-based Indian businessman, Keshav Bhagat, 66.
In a press release, the Scottish Government said it had invested £1.7 million, through a Regional Selective Assistance grant, to support Bhagat’s UK-registered food processing company, Bhagat Holdings Limited, to expand its European interests to Scotland.
Bhagat Holdings is investing £9m in the site. Production is expected to start in the autumn.
Highly-skilled workforce
Visiting the site today, Bhagat said: “We’re thrilled with the site in Annan as it’s ideal for our ambitious bread crumb, dry mixes, fish and chicken coating operations. We know there’s a highly-skilled local workforce that can help us grow our business, and that’s one of the key reasons we chose to locate in Scotland.
“Our employees are at the heart of what we do and that’s why I’m very pleased to confirm that our jobs will pay above the Scottish Government’s Living Wage.”
Coatings and breadcrumbs
The firm adds coatings and panko breadcrumbs to seafood and poultry for food supply companies such as Brakes. It also supplies “filet-O-fish” to McDonald’s in Eastern Europe.
The Pinneys plant closed with the loss of around 450 jobs last year when its owner, Young’s Seafood, switched production to Grimsby.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “This is great news for the people of Annan, and for the South of Scotland more generally.
“I’m delighted that an international company like Bhagat Holdings has chosen to invest in Scotland, with the immediate creation of a significant number of jobs, which will make a real difference to local people and the local economy.
‘No stone unturned’
“When Young’s closed last summer, I said that we would leave no stone unturned and we would keep working to find a solution and an alternative use for this site. That hard work has now paid off and it is Annan and the local community and families who will benefit. I want to highlight the diligent efforts of Scottish Government staff, working with Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Enterprise, the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, and local partners for the past year, to make this happen.”
Bhagat Holdings Limited was incorporated on May 2, 2018 and has two directors, Keshav Bhagat and Kunoor Baghat, 27, both listed as having a correspondence address in the Kaliningrad region of Russia.
