20 February 2006

Tayto takes over Golden Wonder

Northern Ireland Crisp manufacturers Tayto have today announced its acquisition of the Golden Wonder manufacturing facility at Scunthorpe which had been placed in administration.

This also includes the other Golden Wonder brands of Golden Skins crisps, Golden Lights and Ringos.

The purchase of the company will now ensure that all 335 workers in the Scunthorpe plant, as well as the 21 jobs in administration, finance and sales in the Market Harborough head office, plus 195 jobs at the Pringles Minis plant in Corby, which Tayto bought last month, will all be saved.

This will take the County Armagh based company from £15 million turnover to £100 million in five years of accelerated growth.

Tayto Managing Director, Stephen Hutchinson, said he was delighted at such a positive outcome after weeks of negotiations.

He said: “We have a very clear vision for our business and the sale of Golden Wonder provided us with an accelerated growth opportunity at exactly the right time.

"As a company we have invested heavily in gaining a reputation nationally as a top quality manufacturer with excellent management and production capabilities.

“We wanted to further expand our business into the rest of Great Britain, consolidating our core business in Tandragee and developing our reputation as a brand builder."

Mr Hutchinson added that Tayto is already a market-leading brand in Northern Ireland and the acquisition of Golden Wonder will allow them to become more involved in the UK market in the future.

He added that Tayto have "exciting long term plans" for both the Scunthorpe and Corby plants and intend to develop other products and manufacturing opportunities over the next twelve months.

The Managing Director continued: “I have no doubt that the 551 members of the workforce whose jobs have been secured will be relieved but I have to caution that we are still in an extremely competitive market place. Continued success will depend on our combined ability to be agile and flexible, maximising our strengths in a highly competitive business sector."

He concluded by saying that Tayto is up for the challenge and that he believes that the people of Scunthorpe and Corby are right behind them.

(EF/SP)