The first Enterprising North West Leicestershire grant has been awarded to a packaging company to help expand its business and create jobs.

The £16,000 grant was awarded to TruNet, based in Measham, near Ashby, which is a leading supplier to the UK food packaging industry.

The money will be put towards the cost of a new machine that will enable TruNet to increase production of a plastic packaging for sausages, from 200 to 1,000 units a day.

Stuart Revill, managing director of TruNet, said: "We are delighted to receive this grant as it will allow us to increase the sales of some specialist products from our UK operation.

"Despite having several manufacturing facilities around the world, we continue to invest heavily in our Measham facility."

The new machine is on order and should be up and running within eight weeks, Mr Revill said.

The expansion will create two new jobs and TruNet has already received interest in the positions from Measham-based jobseekers.

Mr Revill wanted to grow the part of TruNet's business that provides casings for soft meat products such as sausages. But he was hampered in his ambitions because he needed an expensive machine from Italy to achieve his dream.

Not to be beaten, Mr Revill searched for possible funding sources online and it was there that he came across the NWL grants.

TruNet was founded in 1989, employs 53 people and turns over around £6 million a year.

Councillor Richard Blunt, leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, said: "I'm very pleased that the first of our grants has been awarded to help TruNet's expansion.

"This is what this grant was set up for – to help local businesses grow and local employment to grow with it. The district prospers when local people are given local jobs and that is what we are aiming to do here."

North West Leicestershire District Council created the enterprise grants to support growth in the manufacturing, logistics, business services, construction, tourism and culture sectors.

Grants are still available and small and medium sized businesses are encouraged to apply for their share of the £500,000.

 

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