SK Chilled Foods gearing up for expansion

Jul 2 2010 by Kelley Price, Evening Gazette

A CHILLED food company on Teesside is gearing up for “significant” expansion after growing its turnover by a third in three years.

SK Chilled Foods, which employs 500 on Teesside, makes own-label Indian, Chinese, American and Mexican-style fresh snacks for major retailers including UK supermarkets.

New customers - and a recessionary shift in consumer spending habits away from eating out - has meant the 15-year-old company turned over £40m last year.

The firm, which has its at warehousing and distribution centre at Wynyard, wants to expand its Middlesbrough sites at South Bank and Riverside Park.

Managing director Jeremy Faulkner said: “We have won new business with major retailers and have taken on around 100 more staff in the last three years.

“We now employ 500 on Teesside, we’re continuing to grow and we hope there will be more opportunities for further job creation in the near future.

“We are looking at significant expansion plans by mid-2011 that will include a combination of building work and new equipment and are working with outside people on ways of funding it.

“If we’re successful in attracting funding, the business can continue to grow.”