While some might deem MM (UK) a surprise entry in the FPJ Big 50 2015’s top four, the firm chalked up an impressive turnover of £320 million for the most recent financial year.
That total, for the 2013-14 financial year, comes on the back of a £228m turnover for 2012-13, and £202m in the year before that.
Of the Cambridgeshire-based company’s £320m turnover, some £50m came from ice cream and juice sales, with the rest being made up by sales of flowers and citrus, the latter of which goes into its juice and ice cream production.
MM (UK), which is part of the Muñoz Group, was formed in the UK by parent company the AMC Group
in 1997.
As part of theAMC Group, MM (UK) boasts global alliances – from Spain to Australia, and from China to the USA – and is supplied by growers in more than 20 countries.
The fresh produce giant is also at the forefront of future-proofing the citrus industry. Speaking at the recent Eurofruit Southern Hemisphere conference in Lima during a session on new citrus varieties and their place in the global market, Alvaro Muñoz, of AMC Group, outlined the work being done by Citrus Genesis, a group of 40 leading citrus companies in five continents created to manage new cultivars worldwide.
“To date there are 857 hectares planted with Citrus Genesis varieties in South Africa, Peru, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Morocco, Australia, Egypt and Chile,” he explained. “And this year, production will reach 14,000 tonnes, and this is estimated to rise to 45,000t by 2017.”
Closer to home, MM (UK) has been prominent in promotional campaigns for Spanish citrus, most notably leading marketing schemes involving free product giveaways at some of London’s busiest railway stations.
A spokesperson tells FPJ that its turnover for the most recent financial year was achieved through “leading on innovation, service and efficiency.”
Writing in the report released with its accounts for the preceding financial year, 2012-13, MM (UK) director William Barber said: “The directors believe that the company is well-positioned to weather the difficult economic environment and take advantage of any commercial opportunities that arise.
“As a wholesaler, the company is dependent on retaining the loyalty of both its customers and suppliers. This is addressed by maintaining a constant focus on service levels and technical standards, the investment in new fruit varieties, and managing and challenging costs throughout the supply chain.
“The company’s strategy of constant focus on supply chain efficiencies and new product development has helped to further cement our position as one of the key suppliers of fruit and fruit juices to the UK market.”
To achieve future growth in the UK, the spokesperson tells FPJ that the firm will seek “accelerated product NPD via the group’s breeding programmes, broadening its product offer and customer base.”
The spokesperson adds: “The UK remains an important element of the business, representing approximately 60 per cent of the group’s sales.”
