Hopes raised for former Foodmek workers after Tayport firm attracts new owner

A Fife food processing equipment business that collapsed last month with the loss of 32 jobs has a new owner that hopes to rehire redundant workers.

Foodmek supplied processing equipment for the food and drink industry to some of the biggest names in food manufacturing in the UK and abroad. The closure of the firm resulted in all staff being made redundant.

Clyde Associated Engineers has acquired the assets of Tayport-based Foodmek, which was established in 1971 to supply processing equipment for the food and drink industry and had been supplying some of the biggest names in the UK and overseas for more than 50 years. The directors of Foodmek appointed insolvency specialist Shona Campbell of Henderson Loggie as liquidator in October.

Clyde Associated Engineers (CAE) has been trading since 1952 and has expanded considerably in the last 20 years. It has had a long-standing working relationship with Foodmek and due to an increased workload, CAE has been looking to augment its Clydebank operations with an east coast base.

Finance director Lesley Cardiff said: “Tayport is an excellent base for our expanding operations. Through swift expansion, CAE has focused more predominantly on the drinks, water, pharmaceuticals and paper industries. We believe that this increase in capacity and opportunity to provide a wider range of project packages to an increasing customer base will lead to further success.

“We understand that this will have been a very worrying time for customers with Foodmek’s range of equipment. We will be in contact to offer total support and back up for the products they currently have, and we will prioritise any existing projects for completion.”

The firm said it would now be recruiting in the Tayport area and hopes that those who have been made redundant under the liquidation of Foodmek will be interested in joining its team.

Cardiff added: “We are looking for skilled and experienced workers who can help us grow our business and serve our customers. We believe that Foodmek’s former staff have a lot to offer, and we would welcome them to apply for the positions we have available.”

Campbell, insolvency partner at Henderson Loggie, added: “We are pleased that we were able to find such a well-matched buyer for Foodmek that will keep skilled jobs in the Tayport area. We wish CAE and its new employees all the best for the future.”