Young’s Seafood to set up white fish, salmon centres
The firm said its Fraserburgh Cluster including its Kilron and Spey Valley sites, would become a centre of excellence for white fish processing and packing and value-added, ready-to-eat seafood.
In the process, white fish processing currently taking place at its Marsden Road site at Grimsby would move to Fraserburgh, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands.
In addition, the Fraserburgh hub would be rebranded from Macrae to Young’s Fraserburgh.
Service levels
Young’s has not clarified how the shift in white fish processing from Grimsby to Scotland would affect service levels to major customers Sainsbury and Asda.
“In 2012, as part of the company’s move to a business unit structure, the Fraserburgh Cluster was established to bring together our non-dedicated chilled processing activities,” said Young’s deputy ceo Pete Ward.
“This move provided great insight into the core capabilities of our non-dedicated chilled sites and their respective costs and strengths.”
‘Simplify our business’
“The insight and information gained from the Fraserburgh Cluster has allowed us to commence the next steps of our chilled strategy to focus our attentions on our core customers, simplify our business and deliver market leading efficiencies.”
As part of the change, Andy Stapley, md of the Fraserburgh Cluster, who had provided insight and perspective on its proposals would leave the business, said Ward.
“Andy has provided insight and perspective on our proposals and I would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future,” he added.
Darren Beecham had been appointed as site director at Fraserburgh. Beecham was previously general manager for Young’s Marsden Road site, Ward said.
Natural salmon
Meanwhile, Young’s Marsden Road facility would become its centre of excellence for natural salmon. Beecham’s move to Fraserburgh meant the company would be recruiting for a site director for the Marsden Road site, said Ward.
No further changes would be felt by staff at either hub, he stressed.
“Investments are being made at both sites to enable them to take on their new roles by end October 2014,” he added. “These changes will improve focus and local ownership of issues and help us deliver our plans to stay ahead of our competition and grow our chilled turnover ahead of the market.”
