COMBER-based vegetable farming enterprise Mash Direct has expanded its premises and reduced emissions with the support of a seven-figure 'green loan' from HSBC UK.
The sixth-generation family business used the loan to add 25,000 sq ft to its warehouse and 5,000 sq ft to its office space.
The expansion allowed room for a new wastewater treatment plant, which is expected to help the farm efficiently measure water usage and future-proof planning to be more environmentally conscious (projections forecast a 56,391kg reduction of Co2 per year from business operations).
Along with this Mash Direct has also added 384 new solar panels to its roof.
Chief executive Jack Hamilton said: “It’s important to us to embrace new techniques and equipment that will help to reduce our impact on the environment.
“Our wonderful land is what helps to make our product so great, so we are thankful for HSBC UK’s support in helping us protect it for years to come.”
Marty Colvin, relationship director in Northern Ireland for HSBC UK, added: “Mash Direct is a well-established business that’s made a name for itself by championing great local produce. We are pleased to see how this green loan has helped it diversify and respond to the needs of the environment, as demand for its products grow.”
Mash Direct, run by husband-and-wife Martin and Tracy Hamilton and their two sons Jack and Lance, grows and produces farm fresh ‘field to fork’ vegetable and potato side dishes, supplying major supermarket chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Co-Op, Lidl and Dunnes, as well as a range of independent stores.
