Fresh fruit and ingredients supplier, J.O Sims has created a dedicated ingredients division in response to a surge in sales of fruit ingredients. Following a 92 per cent increase in turnover from last year, ingredients now represent 22 per cent of the company's business.

Lee Doleman, recently appointed general manager of Ingredients, revealed: 'When we hit record sales levels in 2002 it became apparent that to support the long-term growth of our ingredients business we needed to formalise the structure. Bringing together sales, marketing, customer service and technical resources into one business unit will enable us to tighten up stock control and order processing as well as manage our supplier and customer base more effectively. 'This will accelerate speed of response, promote greater accessibility and ensure customers receive goods of the consistently high standard they have come to expect from us.

'The evolution of our ingredients business mirrors the direction of the industry as a whole with the trend for fruit ingredients such as cranberries and blueberries in cereal bars driving the market forwards and upwards. Although our core business is rooted in fresh fruit at present, the ingredient market is the hotbed for product innovation, a pattern which shows no signs of abating as we are already well ahead of target for 2003.' The group is now divided into four distinct units: ingredients, fresh fruit manufacturing, retail and wholesale and fresh fruit.