Fish-head drying plant near Grimsby

North East Lincolnshire Council has netted another big fish player with the opening of a GBP2.5million high-technology fish-head drying plant by JHS Fish Products near Grimsby

The North East Lincolnshire Council economic development department has added another major company to the growing list of businesses attracted to the district, with the opening of a GBP2.5million fish-head drying plant by JHS Fish Products.

It has been due largely to the help and support offered by the economic development department that the company chose Stallingborough, near Grimsby, for its first UK plant, one which is operating alongside two other sites run by its parent company in Iceland.

Olafur Einarsson, managing director of JHS Fish Products, has nothing but praise for the work of economic development department, who he says, could not have been more helpful right from the first approach.

Mr Einarsson said: ''Once we had explained our needs they set about showing us a number of sites in the Grimsby area and we searched together for some months to ensure the one we picked was exactly right''.

The company has now moved into a refurbished factory just off the A180 with easy links to the motorway network and a journey of a few minutes into the port of Grimsby.

''It is the ideal location for us,'' said Mr Einarsson whose company has invested GBP2.5m in the fabric of the building and the highly advanced technology inside it, which gives it the lowest emission levels of any comparable plant.

The JHS move did not require a great deal of planning work because the building was already there.

The official move-in was earlier last year and the factory is now running to full capacity.

The workforce of 20 intends to say a big thank you to the council's economic development department, its suppliers (which the council was also instrumental in pulling together) and its customers, through a formal launch day.

Guests will see, what even for 'fishy' Grimsby is a first - a plant dedicated solely to drying fish heads, mainly cod and haddock, with many of them locally sourced.

Instead of being turned into animal feed and fertiliser as most heads are across the Western world, the 6,000 tonnes a year handled at Stallingborough are all destined for human consumption.

The total output is exported with much of it ending up in Africa, notably in Nigeria and Ghana where fish heads are regarded as a delicacy, as well as being frequently used for making soup.

Cllr Geoff Lowis, the North East Lincolnshire portfolio holder for regenerations, said: "Grimsby has long been called the UK's Food Town, thanks to the council's efforts to promote food.

What the Council has done for JHS is by no means unique.

We are always prepared to go the extra mile to provide help and support for those interested in investing.".

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