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We want to be the nation's favourite, says Seabrook
CRISP manufacturer the Seabrook Group saw sales shoot up by 55 per cent last year as its transformation from sleeping giant to significant market player continues at pace.
The family-owned business has invested 6m in production at its Bradford base over the last two years, helping it to raise market share by three per cent to 4.7 per cent.
The management is now eyeing further growth and has set out ambitious expansion plans. John Tague, managing director since January 2008, said: "Our vision is to be the nation's favourite crisp."
Industry data shows that Seabrook's crinkle-cut crisps are placed sixth in the UK market behind McCoy, KP, Kettle Chips, own label, and market leader Walkers, which has a massive share of around 63 per cent.
For the year ending September 30, the firm's turnover rose from 15.3m to 23.8m, according to annual accounts signed off last week. The group made a pre-tax profit of 1.4m, up 109 per cent on the previous year.
Profits are being ploughed back into marketing and making the business more efficient, said Mr Tague. He added: "The sales vision is to be a 78m turnover company by 2015 which would be 10 per cent of the market."
Growth last year came from sales added through 5,000 new outlets, including independents and major retailers, which has brought an extra 50,000 product sightings. The group also had a significant gain with Asda, which doubled its store space overnight in September 2008.
Next month Seabrook will be able to run its two cookers concurrently for the first time. The group replaced one of the cookers a year ago as part of its investment programme. Last year it appointed a new operations director.
Seabrook, based on a 15-acre site in Bradford, is currently producing around 110,000 cases a week. Each case contains 48 packets, which amounts to 5.28m packets every seven days. With the new investment, it can increase capacity to around 180,000 cases a week.
It has a contingency plan to increase production beyond 180,000 in a strategic relationship with another crisp manufacturer, said Mr Tague.
The group is expecting a surge in demand in February following a new agreement with a top four retailer which will see its store space increase threefold.
To achieve its growth objectives, Seabrook will have to up its spend on marketing in an intensely competitive environment with aggressive pricing strategies and high levels of promotional activities by rivals.
The market leader Walkers spends millions of pounds on advertising campaigns with Gary Lineker.
Mr Tague said the group will be building up business "with really good above-the-line marketing campaigns that are true to the brand and values", while keeping a close watch on costs.
He added: "It's about working hard, working with our customers and understanding their needs for growth and also understanding what the consumer is looking for. Product quality is excellent."
The business has expanded despite the recession because of the tendancy of people to stay at home more often, eating snack foods such as crisps and chocolate, said Mr Tague.
Seabrook buys in 60-70 per cent of its potatoes from Yorkshire, with the remainder coming from Cheshire, East Anglia and Devon. It used to buy oil from overseas, but now sources from AAK in Hull.
Seabrook Group is owned by Ken Brook-Chrispin, 59. His daughter Samantha, 22, joined the board in July to learn the business.
Aiming to awaken the 'sleeping giant'
Instilled with a strong work ethic by his mother, John Tague, pictured, got his first job at 11. He left school at 16 and became an electrician.
He hated it and quit at 21, embarking on a series of sales job at companies including Rothmans International, Weetabix and Danone. At 28, the Liverpudlian enrolled on a night-school business and finance course, juggling that with a full-time job and three children.
His big break came at the London office of Disney, where a talent for entrepreneurialism saw him rise to become head of consumer products for the UK.
After six years with Disney, Mr Tague, by now a father of four, yearned for a return to the North and found a job as commercial director of a mobile phone company in Crewe.
But a year later he saw the Seabrook job advertised in the Sunday Times. He went for it and got it. Mr Tague, 44, said he is excited by its growth potential, describing it as "a sleeping giant".
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