Arla's former cheese plant in North Wales has been sold - with plans for around 40 jobs at the site.
The dairy cooperative closed the creamery in Llandyrnog in 2018, with the loss of 97 jobs, following a “strategic re-evaluation” of Arla’s cheese operations.
The cheddar cheese plant was placed on the market in 2020 for £2.5m.
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Now Procter Johnson, which manufactures pigments and additives for the construction industry, has confirmed it will take on the site, moving operations from its exiting Flint location.
In a letter to Llandyrnog Cllr Merfyn Parry, Harvey Jackson, the managing director of Procter Johnson, said: "We are very excited at the prospect of conducting operations from Llandyrnog and hope that we can have a positive impact on the village and wider community.
"Procter Johnson manufactures pigments and additives for the construction industry, with the vast majority of our business being colour for precast concrete – roof tiles, pavers, patio slabs, walling, facing bricks, etc
"We are a privately owned business and have been on the site at Flint since 1984. I have worked there since 1993 and have been part of the management team since 2002.
"The business has grown significantly since 2010 and we have now outgrown the site at Flint. The Creamery presents us with an opportunity for further growth and to future proof the business. We currently employ 37 people and hopefully we can expand on this as the business continues to grow.
"We plan to make some significant investment, mostly in new equipment, and hope to be operational by Easter 2022."
Cllr Parry told Nation.Cymru: “Obviously this fantastic news for Llandyrnog and the old Creamery site.
“I would like to wish Procter Johnson all the very best and thanks for investing in Llandyrnog and Denbighshire.”
