Northern Enterprise Awards 2020

14 | Northern Enterprise Awards 2020 Nov20143 Pet Food Manufacturer of the Year 2020 Many people don’t realise that the majority of well-known and successful pet food brands we see today are produced by third party manufacturers. In recent years, private label pet food products have established themselves across the globe and the demand for brand owners to outsource production has evolved. This strategic move has enabled them to focus much of their efforts on sales and marketing and creating innovative products. Leading the way in private label pet food manufacturing is C&D Foods, with 11 manufacturing facilities across Europe. Since their inception, the company’s mission has been to be the partner of choice in the sector and is highly committed to its customers in delivering the right product at the right time. As an industry leader for more than fifty years they understand the importance of having a strong customer-centric approach to everything they do, from strategy and concept, recipe development, and production and packaging just to name a few. C&D Foods work in collaboration with retailers to introduce new pet food ranges, targeted to specific localised consumer demands, and most recently they were honoured to be the only manufacturer invited to strategy meetings for an exclusive French pet food development project, thus strengthening their position as a superior European manufacturer. With more than 1400 employees across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, C&D Foods takes a very proactive approach when it comes to internal communications across the business. Their diverse and multinational workforce receives effective communication from management, and this encourages a positive, happy, and productive working environment. Regular toolbox talks are also conducted regularly on performance related or operations related matters to provide essential training to the workforce. Key information is also shared onsite in relation to customer behaviour, business developments and sales and marketing. 2020 has caused some significant disruption to C&D Foods as the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic swept across Europe. In March and April the company experienced a surge in product demand as consumers began to stockpile items during lockdown and sales of dry food rose sharply. Supply chains across FMCG were strained due to the disruption of travel restrictions, however C&D Foods remained resilient and the company reaped the benefits of having multiple sites across Europe, allowing them to continue to serve their customers whilst maintaining their high levels of customer service. Moving forward, C&D Foods are looking to further strengthen their position in relation to sustainable and recyclable packaging as customers continue to challenge the reduction of plastic packaging on products. A number of recycle-ready bags are being delivered to clients already, and the company expect to see a recycle ready pouch in the next 12 to 24 months ready for testing. Their strong focus on research and development of eco-friendly solutions will continue over the coming months to support their client’s green agendas and further strengthen their quadruple carbon status, awarded by the Carbon Trust. As a well-established manufacturer and having served their customers for more than 50 years there is no doubt of the company’s dedication to its workforce and its customers. As the private label pet food market continues to grow, C&D Foods will remain at the forefront of the industry, driven by their passion, commitment, and innovation to produce quality private label pet food. Company: C&D Foods Contact: Salma Khan Website: www.cdfoods.com C&D Foods was established back in 1969 and is now one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of specially formulated pet food for the private label market, including major supermarkets and retail chains. As winners in the 2020 Northern Enterprise Awards, we explore the secrets behind their success and how C&D Foods Driffield earned the accolade Pet Food Manufacturer of the Year 2020. “We deliver a customised, one-stop- shop solutions for all of our clients.” “As an industry leader for more than 50 years, we understand how vital relationships are to ongoing success.”