Food protein manufacturer chooses to grow in Tipton

Originally founded in 1969 as a manufacturer of pork scratchings, since 2015 the company has been known as Essentia Protein Solutions – a global business operating across all major continents and specialising in the production of meat protein solutions.

It has taken on two new units in Speed Road to expand operations and another brace in Ramsay Road to support future growth. Legal support for the acquisition of the new units was provided by Andrew Wynne, a partner in FBC Manby Bowdler’s commercial property team.

Factory manager Paul Setchells said: “Whilst some businesses in need of more space may consider a move to another location, remaining here in Tipton was never in doubt for us. Simply, our skilled workforce and the supply chain on which we rely, make here the right place for us to continue growing the business.

The company current employs around 54 people in Tipton. Paul said: “We don’t have immediate plans to create any new jobs, but the developments we’ve been through do mean that we’re able to preserve our existing workforce and do more with our existing resources. This makes us a more cost-effective operator and, therefore, more attractive to our customer base.”

As the only specialist protein factory within the group located in this country, Essentia’s products manufactured in Tipton offer the meat industry value for money, said Paul Setchell: “Brexit continues to cause a lot of volatility in the food manufacturer sector and inflation is impacting heavily.

"Our customers, therefore, look to us to help them deliver sustainable margins without compromising quality. Our success at achieving this has meant continued demand for what we do, and whilst future growth projections are relatively conservative, the standard of our service and products mean that we’re confident of enjoying on-going growth.

“The recent expansion of our physical estate has, therefore, been based around both existing and future need. The two units that we’ve acquired on Speed Road, have enabled us to bring finished product storage on site and under our control which has contributed to increased customer satisfaction. The acquisition, meanwhile, of the two units on Ramsay Road have been a strategic move to support us in our future growth.”

The Speed Road units required complete renovation which included removal of all the existing infrastructure, re-cladding of the roof, repainting and the installation of £100,000 of specialist equipment to make best use of the space.

Andrew Wynne of FBC Manby Bowdler said: “I’ve been fortunate to have worked with Paul and the Essentia team over many years and have witnessed the business grow and evolve. Its recent estate acquisitions, not only consolidate the company’s recent growth, but pave the way for continued evolution and I don’t doubt that they’ll be considering a move in to their strategic acquisitions before too long.”

Paul Setchell added: “The fact that we’ve chosen FBC Manby Bowdler over many years now, speaks volumes. I don’t doubt that without the level of attention to detail that Andrew and the team demonstrate, we’d have made many impetuous decisions that would have come back to haunt us at a later date.”