Food distributor NR Evans creates 60 jobs

21-Apr-2015 - Last updated on 22-Apr-2015 at 10:31 GMT

Left to right: Richard Stevenson, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance, Paul Williams, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking (in cab) and Neil Evans, NR Evans md

Chilled food distributor NR Evans has created more than 60 jobs in an expansion of its operation backed by a £3M lending facility from Lloyds Bank.

Through the funding package, the firm, based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, had bought 18 new heavy goods vehicles and 15 refrigerated trailers, growing its fleet to more than 200 vehicles, said the bank.

This had been achieved thanks to a hire purchase facility provided by the bank’s commercial finance team, allowing the business to pay the full amount for the vehicles without hitting its cash flow, it claimed.

The investment has enabled the firm to take on more and bigger contracts, and grow its total workforce to more than 400 members of staff.

£500M of chilled product

One of the biggest temperature controlled distribution companies in the UK, NR Evans delivers more than £500M of chilled product annually. It has seven operating centres located in Carmarthenshire, Anglesey and Newport, as well as in the West Midlands, Derbyshire, Bedford and Bridlington.

“We’re pleased to have completed this latest stage of our growth plan, with the hire purchase facility from Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance allowing us to modernise and boost our fleet,” said Neil Evans, md of NR Evans.

“As part of this, we’re proud to have created 60 new roles within our business throughout our seven operating centres, helping to support local employment in the regions in which we operate.”

Right funding

Richard Stevenson, senior regional manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance, said: “We worked closely with NR Evans to provide the business with the right funding solution to help it facilitate its growth plans without impacting on its daily cash flow.

“We have a lot of experience in the sector and understand the need for businesses to operate a top of the range fleet, and look forward to working with the business to support its growth plans.”

Paul Williams, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Growing, ambitious businesses like NR Evans with a clear plan for continued expansion are the driving force of the UK economy, and we’re proud to support companies like this as they create new jobs and invest in the future of their business.”

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