Bait firm gets go-ahead for expansion

Donald Cooke, the company with major fishing brands Rod Hutchinson & Bait-Tech within its portfolio, has been granted planning permission to expand its factory in Sheffield, England.

The new building will hold over 400 pallets for stocks of tackle and manufactured goods ready for sale and 60 tonnes of silo space for bulk ingredients. Construction was due to start in January.

The plans will also see it increasing its undercover loading and unloading bays by 3,000 sq ft to ease the pressure of goods flowing in and out of the factory.

Managing director Andrew Cooke explained: “Like many in our industry, we have had a very busy 2020. This additional space, however, has not only been driven by the crazy year we have just had, it is due to over three years of consistent double digit growth. This additional warehousing is to enable us to fulfil our growth forecasts and medium-term plans”.

The warehouse is being reorganised by a logistical expert to improve efficiency of every square inch of space.

Andrew continued: “The efficiency gains and space ensure we can improve the way we work with our customers and help all our partners grow. We are looking forward to the future in this exciting market. This won’t be our only infrastructure investment in 2021.”

The 120-year-old, fifth-generation family business manufactures fishing bait, pet foods and animal feeds across many top brands and makes or distributes top names including Bait-Tech, Rod Hutchinson, Stroft, GABY and Bait Masters as well as being largest importer of Skretting and Coppens pellets in the UK.

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