20th December 2007, 07/449
Parkfresh growth recognised regionally
A fresh-produce catering firm that has expanded through grant
assistance from the district council was named a finalist in a
prestigious competition.
Parkfresh food service outfit, based in Skelmersdale reached the
top five in the regional finals of the Bank of Scotland Corporate
£25 million Entrepreneur Challenge, which recognises
well-established businesses that aim to continue growing and become
dominant forces in their markets.
One of the reasons that Parkfresh reached the final stages was as a
result of its growth and success, partly thanks to funding from
West Lancashire District Council.
Through the Council's Inspire Scheme via West Lancashire Local
Strategic Partnership's 'Investing In Business' Regeneration funds
from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the company
has received three grants, all of which have contributed to the
company's expansion.
The business was founded on a sole trader basis 18 years ago and
since that time has grown significantly to employ 87 full time
staff today. Inspire helped the firm achieve its ambitious
expansion plans by providing financial assistance towards the
construction of additional warehousing space including further cold
room facilities. With this financial support Parkfresh have been
able to meet the expectations of its existing and future customers
in terms of demand, health and safety and quality. They were also
able to improve the security of the premises through grant
assistance too.
As a result of all this work they were able to enter the awards and
came in the top five of the North England and North Wales category.
This was in recognition of the fact that they have gone from
strength-to-strength despite the fierce competition and price wars
they constantly face in the fresh and prepared supply chain, which
is a challenging industry.
Cllr Ian Grant, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning,
said: "Parkfresh is an inspirational story to other businesses out
there and shows how perseverance really pays off. They have been
bold enough to take on the challenge of supplying fresh and
prepared produce to the catering trade and have risen above
pressures to not only expand but to do exceptionally well. I'm
delighted that we have helped them to realise their dreams by
providing them with vital funds to carry out their work. To reach
the finals in such a prestigious competition is even better news
and they should be proud of themselves for getting to this
stage."
Boyd Park, Managing Director of Parkfresh, added: "We have
appreciated the support and commitment from West Lancashire
District Council in terms of grants and business support and we
will hopefully continue to work together to generate more good
quality jobs within the Skelmersdale area.
"We are looking to open other sites around the country so as to
offer a national service and we are also eager to acquire more land
in Skelmersdale and build substantially larger premises for our
increased business and future plans."
Due to the success of the Inspire scheme over the last 3 years, the
Council are using the remaining funding to specifically target
smaller businesses. Under the new scheme only companies with 5
employees or less are eligible for grant assistance, with
applications from companies involved in key sector activities
particularly welcome. These comprise biomedical, energy &
environmental technologies; advanced engineering and materials;
food and drink; digital and creative industries; and business and
professional services.
So if you're thinking of improving commercial buildings and land or
purchasing permanent machinery your company could be eligible.
Anyone interested in the revised grant scheme and wanting more
information can contact Margaret Collings on 01695 577177
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