Yorkshire Bank backing goes down well with dog food manufacturer

11th March 2013

A Yorkshire manufacturer of dog feeds has expanded into bigger premises to enhance efficiency and extend its product range.

Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds Ltd has expanded into 25,000 sq. ft. premises at Hebden Road, Scunthorpe, which it has acquired and refurbished after gaining financial backing from Yorkshire Bank through its £1bn Business Expansion Fund launched last autumn.

The business, which makes a range of foods to match the appetite, age and lifestyle of different dogs, has moved to the £800,000 premises from its former 10,000 sq. ft. base in Thorne where it had been for 17 years.

Managing director, Phil Judson, whose father-in-law John Sneyd founded the business in Thorne in 1995, said: “We had tried to buy land in Thorne, but to no avail, so are delighted to have been helped to move into fantastic new premises at Scunthorpe. We’ve also invested in and installed new production machinery, which will increase efficiency and enable us to extend our range.

“I’m confident that this investment, coupled with the enthusiasm and hard work on which we have built the business, will lead to further growth. I believe our customers will benefit from a greater range of top-quality products as we continue to expand our team and take the Sneyd’s Wonderfeed brand to a higher level.

“Feedback from our retail customers shows that they want better value and lower prices without losing the nutritional quality of their animal feeds. This is a demand we already meet with ease and will remain central to our growth strategy. Yorkshire Bank has helped make all this possible and we hope to enjoy a continued working relationship for what should be a very bright future for Sneyd's Wonderfeeds.”

Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds, which has a £2m turnover, has recruited two more staff as part of its growth plan, taking the total to nine. The business, which operates throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, also makes small animal feeds for rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs and sells through agricultural stores, farm and country pursuits shops and is particularly strong in the gundog sector with a big presence in Scotland.

The new machinery allows the business to mix larger batches of dog feed which, coupled with new, faster weighing equipment will allow the company to double its monthly production capacity of 270 tonnes and will support a planned breakthrough into the premium dog feeds market.

Katie Green, small business relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank, said: “Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds has secured a strong place in a growing sector by concentrating on providing high-quality feeds, a benefit recognised by a wide range of dog owners including those who keep them as working dogs rather than just as pets,

“Yorkshire Bank is very much open to support small businesses with the right proposition and we are pleased to be assisting the Sneyd’s Wonderfeeds with its growth plans.”

Yorkshire Bank has a business and private banking centre in St Sepulchure Gate, Doncaster, from where it delivers a wide range of business and private banking services throughout the town as well as to Thorne, Scunthorpe and Grimsby.