Hot dog firm opens up new distribution centre (From Gazette & Herald)

Hot dog firm opens up new distribution centre

HOT dog giant Westler Foods has opened a new distribution centre in a North Yorkshire village and formed a partnership with a Ryedale family haulage company.

The Amotherby site employs 250 people and is the UK's leading manufacturer of hot dogs - of the 67 hot dogs eaten each minute in the UK it makes seven in every 10.

The company, which owns the Chesswood and Tyne Brands, has appointed Ward Bros, of Showfield Lane Industrial Estate, Malton, as its national distributor, a contract worth more than £500,000 a year.

At the official opening, Ryedale MP John Greenway said: "The £200,000 investment in the new centre reflects the continuing commitment of this long-established family-owned firm to the Malton area and is already enabling Westlers to reinforce its position as the leading manufacturer of hot dogs in the UK.

"Food manufacture and distribution is an increasingly competitive market in which efficiency of distribution is as important as efficiency of manufacture."

Henry Breese, the third generation of the Breese family to take on the role of managing director at Westler Foods, said: "Our investment, coupled with our new distribution deal, demonstrates our commitment to both North Yorkshire and the environment.

"We previously employed the services of a company in the Midlands, but now we have significantly reduced our food miles as we no longer have to send our products cross-country to be distributed.

"Therefore, we are not only supporting local Yorkshire business with a major contract, we are also helping the environment by reducing road journeys."

The project was managed by Charlie Breese, warehouse and distribution manager and brother of Henry. He said: "This new project has brought about a major change in the way Westler Foods handles its distribution.

"Previously, we would send full lorry loads of products to our Midlands distribution company, who would store them and pick customers' orders prior to delivery. Under the new system, we now process and pick the individual orders ourselves, before calling in Ward Bros who deliver them on our behalf."

The company has recently been commended by the Ministry of Defence for the role it played in feeding the forces during the invasion of Iraq - it was one of only five suppliers to receive special recognition.

Updated: 11:18 Wednesday, June 02, 2004