Bangor-based McWhinney’s Sausages, a sixth-generation family business producing Irish pork sausages since 1898, is investing £2.2 million (€2.5m) in new automated equipment to boost productivity and scale operations. The investment, supported by a £612,000 (€700,000) grant via Invest NI’s Agri-Food Investment Initiative (AFII), includes a spiral freezer and automatic packing line designed to increase output, enhance efficiency, and grow both wholesale and retail offerings.

The upgrades will enable the company to revisit retail operations while continuing to serve fish and chip shops, hospitality venues, and outdoor catering industries across Britain and Northern Ireland. Additionally, McWhinney’s plans to expand its exports into the Republic of Ireland and explore new European markets such as Spain.

Kevin McWhinney, managing director, said: “A new spiral freezer will allow us to repurpose our existing freezer into a dedicated retail packing line, enabling us to enter the retail market. This will significantly increase our turnover, help us to increase innovation and open up new opportunities in the Republic of Ireland and further afield.”

The project also includes environmentally sustainable equipment and fully recyclable packaging. It will create four new positions over the next two years, including a floor supervisor, sales executive, and two production operatives. Brendan McGuigan, Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Invest NI, noted: “McWhinney’s significant investment in new equipment and automation will enable it to increase productivity, to meet supplier demand, grow its exports and boost sustainability. The company’s increased output will help it to capitalise on these opportunities and create room for further product innovation as its automation increases.”

Read how McWhinney’s investment in automation is reshaping production and driving export growth.

(Photo Credits to Department for the Economy NI)