Pet Foods UK investment will help create new jobs
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Paul Hunter, the managing director of Pet Foods UK, has revealed to Pet Trade Xtra that the investment by Piper will help the company to grow and create new jobs...
"This investment has come at an extremely important time for us," said Paul. "We are projecting very strong growth over the coming years and Piper's expertise, knowledge and funding will enable us to 'super charge' this growth."
Despite a busy and hectic schedule following the announcement of Piper's investment, Paul still found time to answer our questions about the future for Pet Food UK.
Will it enable you to grow the business faster than in the past?
Absolutely! We are very strong and knowledgeable in our field of expertise, 'Ultra-Premium Pet Nutrition', but we are very aware of our weaknesses. This was all part of the decision to join the Piper portfolio. Already there are marked changes that have happened and already these are showing positive results.
Do you think it will lead to job creation?
Yes, this is a major area we are focusing on and have already started interviewing. We have a recruitment plan in place that will see our staffing levels almost double. We have not long moved into new premises. These premises have been designed with two things in mind. Firstly, pleasure - we spend most of our waking life at work along with our colleagues and the environment needs to exude happiness and energy. Just come along to the building to see how we work. Secondly, the property has been designed and is already equipped with all the work stations, phones, etc to accommodate the growth. We want our staff to be very happy and to look forward to coming into the office!
Is the pet food market becoming a more challenging place?
It is, but the challenges aren't insurmountable by any means. There are more and more brands, whether independent, private brands or ghost brands (retailer own brands), trying to make their way in the market. If you stay true to your beliefs, innovate and keep your ethos and brand standards, there will always be growth and opportunities.
Have you got exciting new products in the pipeline?
We have a lot of fresh ideas and some lovely and exciting products coming through over the next year. We don't bring new products to market just for PR attention, they need to have a purpose and earn their place on our retail customers' shelves. Customers (owners) see through faddy products and this approach isn't something we believe in. We are painstaking in our methods - it took me three years to find the right wet food recipe and manufacturer!
You must be proud of what you've achieved with the company so far but do you think this investment will lead to even greater things?
The three musketeers they called us, out of the fire the phoenix flew! What Dave O'Regan, Jim Moloney and I have achieved over the last eight years has been incredible. However, we very often don't see it and have to take time to sit and digest and look and listen to what we have accomplished. But I really and truly feel that was our 'warm up' and, along with Piper, we will take our brands to the places they deserve to be in the UK, Europe and globally. We have a simple core belief in our brands and the company behind them - we are extremely excited about the future.
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