OVER £2million is to be invested in a Trowbridge factory, making it one of the most up-to-date in the country.

Pork Farm Bowyers is to take delivery of a state-of the-art oven shipped in from Australia, boosting production at its famous pie factory by 25 per cent.

Factory manager Andy Willsher said: "This is a big piece of machinery and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the country. It will give us a big increase in production without having to increase the labour that goes into it."

The new oven weighs about 50 tonnes and the roof of the factory will have to be removed to allow a crane to lower it into place.

Work will also have to be done to prepare the factory for its arrival and the total project is expected to cost £2.3million.

Bowyers, which is part of the Northern Foods Group, has been operating from Trowbridge for nearly 200 years and is the biggest pork pie producer in the country.

As well as the famous pies, there are a great many products made on site, including ready meals, and vegetarian foods.

Mr Willsher said the new equipment is a sign of the company's continuing progress and expansion.

He said: "It shows a lot of commitment from Nor-thern Foods in that they are spending £2.3million on this site.

"Business is good at the moment and we have had a very, very good year. We are now looking at having an even better year this year."

Over £2million was spent on expansion at the factory in 2001 when new production lines were brought in to ensure that products containing nuts were kept separate from other foods made on site.

The opening of the new unit coincided with the company taking on £9.5million of business from another factory in the Northern Foods group.

Bowyers shed nearly 100 jobs in the sausage, administrative and clerical and despatch departments in February last year.

This new investment will not mean more jobs at the factory but there will be temporary jobs available at Christmas and Mr Willsher did not rule out more work becoming available in the future.

He said: "We are expanding in all areas of the business and that may mean more people are needed in the future."

Work on preparing the factory for the new equipment is due to begin in two weeks and it is hoped it will be in operation by October.