Food NI member Davison’s Canners invests in growth
Family-owned Davison’s Canners, a Food NI member, which specialises in hot
desserts for retail and food services both chilled and frozen, is expanding with
support from HSBC UK. The company will use the funding to refurbish an existing
unit on site and to purchase a new automated process and packing line.
The new 50,000 sq ft facility, outside Portadown, will enable the company to begin
producing new ‘ready to eat’ desserts for retail customers in Ireland and Great
Britain, such as individual cheesecakes, premium trifles, glass potted and high-
protein desserts.
The upgraded facility will also include a fully integrated robotic system to automate
the packing process. This will enable the company to enhance the skills of its
existing 118 employees in automated procedures, while also paving the way for an
expansion in its workforce in the forthcoming years.
Alan Davison, managing director at Davison’s, said: “This is a very exciting time for
Davison’s as we significantly increase our capacity to manufacture puddings and
expand our offering. We’ve worked with HSBC UK for around 15 years now and it
continues to provide us with excellent support and advice.”
Rory Clarke, Relationship Director at HSBC UK, added: “The food industry is a core
focus for HSBC UK, and this is a great opportunity for Davison’s to expand its
product range and boost their revenue. Its brilliant to see a family-run business go
from strength to strength.”
The £6 million in funding from HSBC UK will partially fund the capital investment to
support the Ready to eat dessert project. Having been approached by a long-
standing customer within retail requesting a range of ready to eat and food to go
desserts, Davison’s has forecasted an 80 percent increase in revenue over the next
four years.
