Fresh produce packing company Greyfriars experienced a rollercoaster year in 2004. Within days of being awarded Packer of the Year at the Re:fresh 2004 industry awards it was dumped by one of its major clients, Tesco, whom it supplied with mushrooms.
But the North Yorkshire company picked itself up, found a fresh customer in Morrisons, and ended the year strongly. It has a projected turnover for 2005 of £22m compared with sales of just under £11m in 2004.
The company has diversified from mushrooms into sweetcorn, garlic and cabbage, and it is building a new UK mushroom farm to generate £50-60,000 more turnover per week, despite a shrinking UK mushroom industry.
It also has planning permission to double the size of its packhouse. “We are not wedded to mushrooms,” says chairman, MD and co-owner C John Smith. “We see ourselves as packers, and are not even going to limit ourselves to fresh produce.”
Strategic planning brainstorming weekends for key members of staff have played a major part in success, says Smith. Recently, the company formed the first pan-European mushroom marketing and production structure by expanding its producer organisation, Northern Mushrooms, to include Polish grower Okechamp.
And it is in discussion with other fresh produce growers in the Midlands and the south to forge strategic alliances to share spare capacity.
“We also have a plan to look to acquire other companies that might fit our businesses,” says Smith. “Acquisitional growth is among our aims. We have aspirations to be considerably bigger.”
Greg Meenehan
But the North Yorkshire company picked itself up, found a fresh customer in Morrisons, and ended the year strongly. It has a projected turnover for 2005 of £22m compared with sales of just under £11m in 2004.
The company has diversified from mushrooms into sweetcorn, garlic and cabbage, and it is building a new UK mushroom farm to generate £50-60,000 more turnover per week, despite a shrinking UK mushroom industry.
It also has planning permission to double the size of its packhouse. “We are not wedded to mushrooms,” says chairman, MD and co-owner C John Smith. “We see ourselves as packers, and are not even going to limit ourselves to fresh produce.”
Strategic planning brainstorming weekends for key members of staff have played a major part in success, says Smith. Recently, the company formed the first pan-European mushroom marketing and production structure by expanding its producer organisation, Northern Mushrooms, to include Polish grower Okechamp.
And it is in discussion with other fresh produce growers in the Midlands and the south to forge strategic alliances to share spare capacity.
“We also have a plan to look to acquire other companies that might fit our businesses,” says Smith. “Acquisitional growth is among our aims. We have aspirations to be considerably bigger.”
Greg Meenehan
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