FDBusiness.com

UK grocery chain Morrisons has expanded its meat processing operations with the acquisition of a 105,000 sq ft facility in Winsford, Cheshire from Vion UK, part of the Netherlands-based meat co-operative. The site is a centralised fresh pork and lamb retail packing plant which has the capacity to expand into beef products and increase its overall existing production. The acquisition will give Morrisons even greater capacity as it continues to grow and exert greater control over the quality of the meat products sold in store.

Morrisons is the second largest fresh food manufacturer in Britain, employing over 7,000 people, and a central part of its differentiation from its competitors is this vertically integrated model. The food retailer owns a number of bakeries, meat processing facilities and produce packing factories, enabling it to have a greater control over the quality, cost and the supply of fresh food into its 476 stores nationwide.

Over 300 staff at the facility in Winsford will have their jobs secured as a result of the deal, with the potential for further roles in the next year as the business grows. This acquisition is the latest in a number of transactions to strengthen Morrisons’ manufacturing capabilities. Morrisons has pledged to invest £200 million over a three year period to support the growth of the business and acquired Derby-based FlowerWorld last year, a specialist cut flowers business, as part of this.

“Owning the manufacturing sites that produce our fresh food is crucial to Morrisons because it ensures we can control quality and keep down costs for our customers,” explains Martyn Fletcher, group manufacturing director of Morrisons. “As Morrisons continues to grow, it is important we have the facilities to support us. This facility is a high quality, purpose built meat processing factory and will be an ideal addition to the fantastic manufacturing sites we already own.”