DCS Group aims for sales of £500m within three years

DCS Group is aiming to reach sales of £500m within the next three years.

The fmcg manufacturer and distributor said sales for the most recent financial year were up 12% to £350m.

The business, which distributes and manufacturers household, health and beauty products, said it achieved the milestone through investing in its warehousing operations to increase trade with retailers and wholesalers.

DCS, which was founded 30 years ago by entrepreneur Denys Shortt, moved its distributing operations to a 300,000 sq ft facility in Banbury in 2017, while also transferring its manufacturing division to a larger factory in Redditch in 2020.

The move to Redditch, where it produces branded goods and its own label Enliven, enabled it to increase turnover by 50%, DCS told The Grocer. It had also doubled the size of its own-label business with a major discounter, it added.

“I am particularly proud of what we have achieved at DCS Manufacturing in Redditch, which is the most modern liquid fill facility in the UK, and where we produce for many well-known high street and discount retailers,” said Shortt, who is currently DCS Group chairman.

“It was a big investment decision and not easy to start and scale a manufacturing business, but we have created 150 jobs here and the future pipeline looks very positive. It is a long way from the factory I set up in Stratford to manufacture our Enliven brand in 2007.

“DCS encourages an ethos of constructive discontent, and so while we are delighted to be celebrating 30 years of successive growth, we are stretching for the future and asking ourselves what will we look like at end of this decade?

“Both my team and I have a good idea of what that should look like, but for now I can share the next obvious milestone which is £500m, and it is in clear sight.”

CEO Michael Lorimer added: “Our growth means we have scale, but we do maintain a constant focus on flexibility. We are big enough to be efficient and reliable but are equally responsive and innovative. We are in a strong position to help retailers who may be looking for a manufacturing partner for their own label or tertiary brand personal care products.”

The business said it was keen to expand its category portfolio as part of this target.