A FAMILY-OWNED tomato grower dating back to 1949 has secured funding from a leading investor to support its continued expansion.

Middlewich-based APS Group, which has a packhouse in Alderley Edge, has received investment from BGF to help it build a new glasshouse to extend capacity at existing sites.

APS, the UK's largest tomato grower, also wants to make further investments into industry leading, innovative technologies and automation to optimise operational efficiencies.

Mark Pearson, chief executive of APS Group, said: "During the past decade we have invested heavily into our greenhouse infrastructure, combined heat and power plants and packhouse automation.

"This has been well received by our customers and there is an opportunity to further expand our capacity and increase supply whilst retaining our quality focus.

"BGF has been flexible in its approach to providing this funding. The investment allows us to implement our growth projects at the same time as keeping control of the business.

"As a family business that was important to us, and we are looking forward to working with the BGF team."

APS currently manages 56 hectares of glasshouses and operates several packhouses across sites in Cheshire, Kent, West Sussex, Teesside, East Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight.

The firm, which is a long-standing supplier to major supermarkets across the UK, aims to grow a range of high quality tomato varieties in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

More than 700 people are employed across the group, which produces 500 million tomatoes per year using the best traditional and modern growing techniques.

The investment into APS Group, which makes BGF a minority partner in the business, was led by Matt Widdall, Rhys Davenport and Paul Dolyniuk from BGF.

Mr Widdall, who will join the board of APS Group, said: "The Pearson family has a passion for growing quality produce and providing a first-class service to its customers, which has served the business well for close to 70 years.

"We are delighted to be supporting their continued growth with this funding, backing another forward thinking and innovative family business in the UK."