FOOD COMPANY TURNING UP THE HEAT WITH EXPANSION PLANS
A CHILLED food company which supplies Indian and Chinese snacks to the country’s leading supermarkets is targeting expansion after a significant period of growth.
SK Chilled Foods, which has three sites in Tees Valley, has seen 30 per cent growth in turnover in the last two years and now employs more than 500 people.
With further growth expected over the next year, the company is looking into the possibility of expanding its Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland operations.
Jeremy Faulkner, Managing Director of SK, said: “We’ve enjoyed a successful few years and are keen to build on that success by securing further investment in Tees Valley, primarily at our Riverside Park and South Bank sites.
“The next step for us is to identify how we make our expansion plans happen, ensuring a successful future for the company for many years to come.”
SK Chilled Foods makes spring rolls, samosas and other Indian and Chinese fresh and frozen snacks from its Riverside Park site while American ready meals and snacks are made at the South Bank unit and the Wynyard site is the company’s warehousing and distribution centre.
The company is now working with Tees Valley Unlimited, Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, regional development agency One North East and SJA Business Consultancy to look at how it can take its expansion plans forward.
Matt Smith, Strategic Account Manager at Tees Valley Unlimited, said: “It’s great to see a company like SK Chilled Foods, which has been based in Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley for a number of years, achieving such significant growth.
“With further investment and job creation predicted, we will be working closely with SK management to ensure their plans are supported and the company is able to continue to grow in the area.”
SK Chilled Foods is owned by American company the Entrepreneurial Food Group.
Each year it produces around nine million cases of snacks which are then distributed to the UK’s leading supermarkets.
Richard Dowson, Senior Business Development Officer at Middlesbrough Council, said: “SK has build a strong reputation in its line of work and is one of the area’s most established employers.
“I am delighted that the company is targeting further growth and job creation and we’ll do everything we can to support them.”
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Mark Hannon, said: "This is fantastic news and I am delighted at the creation of more jobs and opportunities in the local area."
For more information contact Leanne English, Marketing Manager at Tees Valley Unlimited, on 01642 632013, 07725 602824 or email leanne.english@teesvalleyunlimited.gov.uk.