Sweet smell of success
22 May 2012 – A sweet manufacturing company, based in Leeds, UK, is on course to achieve 800 per cent growth in sales.
Growing demand for sugar-free sweets, toffees and chews from Candy Makers Ltd will create six new jobs as major contracts are completed for leading wholesale and retail customers. The firm has around 50 different product lines and also manufactures ‘regular’ sweets to order.
The three year old company re-located from South Kirby to a 5,000 sq ft unit at Parkside Industrial Estate in Beeston earlier this year, helped by Leeds City Council’s ‘Locate in Leeds’ team, which assists businesses in Leeds and from outside the area to find new premises.
Candy Makers received a grant of £6,250 through the council’s business growth fund to help cover the cost of new machinery and fitting out and Employment Leeds is now helping to recruit new staff, including machine operators, packers and trainee sugar boilers
Candy Makers sales and marketing director Paul Finney says, “The business has grown very quickly and our previous unit had limited capacity for expansion.
“The grant from Leeds City Council was a great help in covering fitting out and new machinery that will give us greater production capacity and the potential to develop new ‘own brand’ product lines.
“Our new premises are more spacious, allowing us to store more product on site and new bagging machinery gives us the option to develop ‘own label’ product lines.”
With 2012 sales forecast to reach £1 million the business is seeking new markets and opportunities for expansion. Exports, which account for about 10 per cent of sales, and own label products have been identified as key areas for future growth.
The company was recently granted accreditation as a Halal site through the British Muslim Food Board which means it is able to supply to ethnic food shops and export to Muslim countries.
Cllr Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for development and economy says, “It’s exciting to see a local company doing so well and expanding despite the current economic climate. Thriving businesses mean jobs for local people and support the local economy so everyone benefits in the long term.”
