AS A Sidcup factory celebrates 50 years of producing some of the nation’s favourite soft drinks reporter RACHEL CONNER finds out about how manufacturing has changed in the last half century.

COCA-COLA Enterprises [CCE], the third largest independent bottler for Coca-Cola, and its factory in Crays Road will be the official site to supply the London Olympics and Paralympics with Coca Cola products.

It is one of six factories in the UK run by CCE and produces more than 40 million cases of drinks every year, or almost 300 million litres.

The factory has grown over the years and now has seven production lines, making a wide range of drinks including coke, diet coke, Powerade, Fanta, tonic water and Dr Pepper.

The company prides itself on the quality of the staff working there and has a good record of long service, with 61 current employees having done 801 years work between them.

One long-serving staff member Ken Bushell, 66, of Albert Road, Bexley, worked in manufacturing at the factory for 25 years before he retired last year.

He said: “When you’re working here change doesn’t seem as obvious but there has been change. The line I started working on has completely gone now. Everything is getting faster, less crude.

“Technology has taken over, there are fewer people working here now. I suppose it’s easier now but I found it more demanding, I’m not that comfortable with computers.”

Though the factory is still a big employer in the area, the advancement of technology in manufacturing has meant a smaller workforce.

David Tackley managed the factory between 1982 and 1987 and remembers it as a very different place.

He said: “The biggest change is the reduction in staff. In my day we employed about 550 people, now its about 340.

“The production lines used to have staff of 62, now they have about four.

“In those days the factory mainly did squash production for Schweppes. There were armies of young women employed to prepare the fruit before it was juiced.”

A major change in the last year has been the opening of a £750,000 education centre where young people can learn about business and manufacturing.

The centre, which opened in July, aims to host 200 school visits and more than 4,000 young people each year.

Committed to encouraging young people in manufacturing, the company also offers engineering apprenticeships to school leavers.

Ramone Elliott, 22, and Luke Ansell, 19, have just completed their first year of the four year training scheme.

Ramone, of Barnehurst Avenue, Erith, said: “Every day has new challenges. When you come in in the morning you don’t know what you’re going to be doing.

“There’s always an ongoing project here. Even in the time I’ve been here it has completely changed.”