After a significant growth in turnover, E Park & Sons has propelled itself into the FPJ Big 50 2015.
For the year ending 30 June 2013, the firm’s turnover was £49.5 million – up from £33.9m the previous year.
The Cheshire-based firm, which supplies multiple and convenience retail, employs around 190 people.
One of its most notable recent achievements has been securing an on-pack competition tie-up with the feature film Walking With Dinosaurs.
In its latest company report, directors said that a sales rise of 46 per cent was due in part to a volume rise of 19 per cent, but mainly due to increased sales prices fuelled by the higher cost of
potatoes.
The cold and wet spring and summer of 2012 also took its toll, meaning potatoes had to be sourced from Europe at a higher cost per tonne, plus associated delivery costs. This saw the business suffer a drop in profit.
However, even in difficult trading conditions, E Park & Sons managed to expand existing business and acquire new customers.
The firm notes that the current season’s harvest has been markedly better than the previous season’s, resulting in better quality and more plentiful supply. “The directors are hoping this will negate the need to purchase basic raw material from Europe, and to be able to return to the margins enjoyed in previous years,” the report concluded.
