The European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have come up together to put Hartlepool shellfish back on the menu with its funding to extend its factory. The fund will help W Hodgson Limited to expand its factory by up to 50 percent and increase its offering of freshly caught local fish.
The grant will be used for development project which includes extending their processing unit, increasing storage and office space and reorganising the factory layout to make it more efficient. This project is expected to create three new jobs in Hartlepool – two in processing and one managerial position, once work is completed in October. The local fishing industry is also likely to benefit as W Hodgson will be able to buy and process more of their catch.
Peter Hodgson, general manager, said that this business has been a part of Hartlepool’s fishing industry for almost 100 years and we are proud to offer fresh locally caught fish to our North East customers. He told that with this investment he is looking forward to expanding its product range to meet their demand, which should also help the local fleet too as we will be able to take more fish from them. He agreed that without this support the expansion would have been very difficult.
Catherine Murphy, Programme Manager for the EFF scheme in England said it is pleased to learn the importance of W Hodgson Ltd to Hartlepool, its fishing industry and the local economy and that the funding will help to create additional jobs in an area which has a particularly high rate of unemployment.
