The investment puts the company in position for long-term growth.
But this line opening brought with it many HR challenges and key issues that need to be addressed, such as redundancies, attracting and retaining the right talent, and designing and implementing a new training programme.
It's something Allied Bakeries HR director Nigel Toon (pictured) wouldn't be able to do without the "unique talent" he has available to him. He told HR magazine: "Every morning it's a fight between getting up at 'dark o'clock' for our many bakers and delivery drivers, and the warmth of the duvet. I have to make sure every single one of our employees is motivated to ensure the duvet doesn't win.
"It's HR cliché number 28, but people are our most unique asset."
Toon has worked in HR for more than 25 years, starting his career at Walkers Crisps and working there for 12 years in various HR roles before it was acquired by PepsiCo, where he continued to work for seven years.
By implementing the new system in Stockport, Toon says Allied Bakeries was able to start on a clean page with its employees: "In some respects it's going back to where businesses were in the past, having proper highly-skilled jobs.
"It's not just about spending millions on new technology, it's about investing heavily in your people - and that's where HR comes in.
"You could go and buy a brand-new Ferrari, but put someone in who is only used to driving a 1948 Morris Minor, and they're going to hit a lamppost pretty quickly. So if you're moving quickly as a business you've got make sure you provide your people with the right skills."
Because of the need for higher-skilled employees, Toon says there are "some people" who haven't been retained, because "they were just unable to make that switchover.
"You never want to wave goodbye to anyone, but I've gone through this in other businesses and sometimes things just can't be avoided."
