In This Issue
From Walt Disney to dog food...the amazing story of an award-winning pet retailer
The secrets of success at Poole Farm
Self-service dog wash finds instant success in the UK
Pet shop criticised for allowing fireworks to be sold on premises
New luxury treats from The Innocent Cat
The Pet Charity releases industry-first collaborative pet care leaflets
Pets at Home Vet Group targets expansion with £20m deal
Tribal Pet Foods announces new listing at luxury pet store
Award-winning Not Just Pets celebrates 10th annivesary
OATA advice on newts after new strain of deadly fungus found
New range of plastic dog beds from Animal Instincts
Kitten cuddlers needed by Newcastle animal shelter
Pet Crematoriums join the Pet Industry Federation fold
Whitley Bay exotic pet shop owners abandoned their reptiles for a week
Fisherman's Daughter range available through Hagen UK
New benefit for Pet Industry Federation members
GPS collar could save 20% on pet insurance
Stylish Marina 84L makes feeding and maintenance easy
Pet stall celebrates 40 years on city market
Exo Terra Terrarium Fixture lights up sales
Pet shop donates money to animal charity
Puppy farmer jailed for double murder
Butcher's grows sales for ninth successive year
GIMA Award gives warm praise for hedgehog igloo
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Butcher's grows sales for ninth successive year

Dog food manufacturer Butcher's Pet Care has grown its sales for a ninth successive year as it benefited from increased production at its new £40m headquarters and factory.

The company, which returned to the black last year following heavy levels of investment, also boosted profits further thanks to the rise in revenue.

Turnover at the Northamptonshire business jumped to £87.1m in the year to 31 July 2014, compared with £83.1m in the previous 12 months.

Butcher's, set up in 1982 by Graham Baker as Midland Pet Food Canners to use by-products from the family's butchery business, opened the new head office and manufacturing facility in Crick in 2012

It provides the manufacturer with up to 50 per cent extra capacity meaning up to five-million cans of dog food can roll off the production lines each week. Sales are expected to hit £100m in the next couple of years once the facility hits full speed.

Butcher's also exports dog food to Italy, the Benelux countries and Poland, with £4.5m of total sales coming from overseas this year.

The additional overall revenue in 2013/14, as well as continuous improvements in production processes, helped to push up operating profit from £2.9m to £3.9m, with similar figures at a pre-tax level. A period of investment, including £38m pumped into the headquarters, had dented the bottom line in 2011/12 contributing to a small loss.

"The group has made an encouraging start to the new financial year with market conditions remaining competitive," chairman Graham Baker said in his statement in the accounts.

He told Insider: "We are very pleased that our continuing growth in sales has led to an improved profit following our factory move of three years ago. With new UK customers and a growing export market, we are very hopeful for further improvements this year."

Butcher's sold a parcel of land for housing development in November 2013 for a net price of £5.2m, releasing £5.1m of the revaluation reserve in the balance sheet. The cash generated from the sale helped reduce net bank borrowings from £11.6m to £4.1m.

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