UK: Sweet success for Candy Makers Category: Home, Industry News UK & World

Tags: British Muslim Food Board | Candy Makers | Halal | Halal sweets

21/5/12 www.insidermedia.com

A sweet manufacturing company whose move to Leeds this year was supported by a loan from Leeds City Council is on course to achieve 800 per cent growth in turnover.

Since setting up in the city, Candy Makers has won large contracts to supply wholesale and retail customers with its sugar-free sweets and plans to recruit up to six new employees to meet growing demand for its products.

The company found its new premises – a 5,000 sq ft unit at Parkside Industrial Estate in Beeston – with help from Leeds City Council’s ‘Locate in Leeds’ team, which assists businesses in Leeds and from outside the area to find new premises.

Candy Makers received a grant of £6,250 through the council’s business growth fund to help cover the cost of new machinery and fitting out the new premises. Employment Leeds is now helping the company to recruit new staff.

“The business has grown very quickly and the unit we were in previously had limited capacity for expansion,” said Candy Makers sales and marketing director Paul Finney.

“The grant from Leeds City Council has been a great help in covering the cost of fitting out the new premises and bringing in new machinery that will give us greater production capacity and the potential to develop ‘own brand’ product lines.”

With sales for 2012 forecast to reach the £1m mark, the business is now looking for new markets and opportunities for expansion. Exports, which account for about 10 per cent of sales, and own label products have been identified as key areas for future growth.

The company has recently been granted accreditation as a Halal site through the British Muslim Food Board which means it is able to supply to ethnic food shops and export to Muslim countries.

Source: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/70877-/