VENTURING INTO NEW MARKETS
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This year, the firm has moved to develop its service offering for existing customers wIth the creation of two 50/50 joint venture ()V) companies: Culina SHS, for the Irish market; and Caine IPS, a business offering co-packing solutions.
Van Mourik adds: We have always had lots of requests from customers [to move into Ireland], but we have never been able to make that jump and it was [JV partner] SHS who sparked the deal.
"It had two out-of-date warehouses and wanted to consolidate those operations under one roof, but felt they could not do it all on their own. They asked Culina to come in with them and we jumped at the opportunity" So they built the new composite site in Rathcoole near Dublin "against all economic indicators", with business migrating into it from January this year. The JVs are forecast to contribute around £5m of additional turnover in 2010, he says.