Manor Abbey Foods Ltd, a Cradley Heath-based food service company, has seen significant growth after receiving a grant and support from the Sandwell Business Growth Team.
The company supplies quality food to local schools, colleges, academies and catering establishments across the borough. While demand for their service was strong, limited frozen storage meant they couldn’t purchase stock in bulk or take on more business. It was a frustrating barrier that held back their plans to expand.
Help from Sandwell Business Growth
With the support of Helen Peach, Sandwell Business Growth’s Business Development Coordinator, Manor Abbey Foods applied for a grant to tackle the issue. The funding allowed them to invest in a large walk-in freezer, a pallet truck to move stock more efficiently and to hire a part-time delivery driver. This gave them the tools and flexibility they needed to expand.
Making a real difference
These upgrades have already had a strong impact. The business can now buy in larger quantities at better prices, fulfil more deliveries and reach more customers. They’ve grown by an estimated 30% and are being recommended by happy clients. One new part-time job has also been created as a direct result of the support.
Managing Director Paul Wrighton said “Without the brilliant help from Sandwell council and Helen we would not have been able to expand our business and employ more staff, we would not have the growth in the business and all the new customers that we have been able to secure without the grant from our local authority.“
Looking ahead, Manor Abbey Foods is planning to continue expanding. They aim to increase their storage space even further, take on more clients and create more local job opportunities. It’s a great example of how local investment and targeted support can help businesses unlock growth and boost the Sandwell community in the process.
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