Kent-based The Juice Executive, founded by Alex Auger (pictured) in 2014, has just reported that it broke the £1M annual turnover mark in its last full financial year, following a £600,000 sales boost. The company has taken on eight new staff to help support the firm’s expansion.
“This has come from more retailers looking for us to contract-manufacture their juices and a desire from independent coffee houses to co-brand their own great-tasting range of juices,” Auger said. “The plan is to grow by another 30% in the coming year.”
Auger has also tapped into the European Regional Development Fund’s Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) to help with strategy, structure and process flow.
Manufacturing Growth Programme
Daren Booth, manufacturing growth manager at MGP, added: “Alex is an inspirational young entrepreneur who is passionate about her products, her people, her clients and developing the raw pressed juice sector.
“The MGP support has unleashed the company’s full potential and we’re looking forward to helping Alex with future plans to expand and launch new products.”
The Juice Executive produces more than 40 different organic juices from its facility on Revenge Road in Chatham, Kent, including turmeric, beetroot, orange and ginger.
It currently manufactures 400,000 bottles a year that are supplied into brands listed by Abel & Cole, Ocado and a number of UK independent retailers.
Further £300,000 in sales
The company is setting its sights on adding a further £300,000 in sales in 2018 as it expands production of own-label products.
Auger added: “I originally started off in my garage and was dropping samples off to some of the big financial services companies.
“It has kind of snowballed since then and the time was right to put in some better practices that would allow me to concentrate on growth, while having a structured approach to securing and developing the best talent.”
Meanwhile, confectionery firm Love Cocoa’s founder James Cadbury has revealed plans to boost production to 2M units a year, as he looks to open a factory in Birmingham and create up to 15 new jobs.