A popular local confectioner is to invest €6 million in a new factory in Mriehel Industrial Estate. 

Busy Bee said its new home would allow it to triple its production capacity and lead it to employing more than 220 people, up from its existing workforce of 150.

Work on its new base is scheduled to begin in September and should be completed within two years, the company said. It plans to develop a a 3,000m2 area, splitting it into 3 floors and including a 70-vehicle car park, 8 separate production lines, offices, facilities for the staff, stores, and over 330m2 of cold rooms. 

The company intends to shift its entire operation - bar its famous coffee shop - from its existing base in Msida to the new factory once it has been completed. 

Director Brian Friggieri trumpeted the new factory's green credentials, noting that it would feature "a photovoltaic system which will generate 320,000 units per annum equivalent to 25 of the projected demand, energy efficient LED lighting, a power factor correction system for more efficient use of the electrical energy, high seasonal energy efficient air-conditioning systems and a building management system to manage the consumption of energy in the most efficient manner possible."

Economy Minister Chris Cardona was present for the project launch. He thanked Busy Bee for the investment, saying "it is not only a vote of confidence in the abilities of Maltese workers and in the local market, but also in the economic model the government has adopted.”