Demand drives Goodtime expansion in the South

Demand drives Goodtime expansion in the South

Manufacturing plant in Christchurch latest investment by Napier business

Goodtime Foods Ltd has purchased a manufacturing plant in Christchurch, expanding its operation to meet increased demand for its pies and enable expansion in the South Island.

Based in Sockburn, the bakery is roughly a third of the size of Goodtime’s Napier operation and employs 34 locals. For the past ten years Goodtime Foods’ CEO and owner Phil Pollett has been working with the Christchurch business, which has been manufacturing Goodtime products under licence, and will invest heavily in improvements to bring it into line with his Goodtime business model.

“We have had a great 10 year relationship with the bakery in the South Island but it is bulging at the seams. We need to put our technology, systems and processes in place and the best way to do that was to own the business. The current owners had decided that it was time to retire so the timing is perfect. We have the North Island covered in distribution terms, and with these intended changes, we will be able to take the business to the next level for our South Island customers,” said Mr Pollett.

New, large-scale contracts secured, including a supply agreement with Z Energy service stations, has seen the South Island bakery grow by 300 percent since 2011.

“Although the bakery has been producing pies and savouries for us for more than a decade and we’re familiar with its operation, it is clear it had almost outgrown its equipment and space to meet the increased demand. Significant investment is required to increase its capacity. All South Island staff have been employed so it will be business as usual with improvements taking place progressively over the coming months.

“A big thrill for me is that with the acquisition this takes Goodtime’s staffing level to more than 100 employees,” said Mr Pollett.

The official takeover date is set for 1 April 2015 and Mr Pollett says the company has already started the change process. Senior staff members from the Christchurch operation will be spending a week each at the Napier plant and training is underway. More than three million pies will be produced in the south in the coming year, bringing the total number of pies produced by Goodtime to over 12 million annually.

“Our aim is to continue to grow and to do that we need to keep improving, changing and creating investment opportunities such as this one. Our next imminent goal is to export.”

ends

© Scoop Media