Teesside-based InBond has secured a significant new long-term contract worth in excess of £1m with food manufacturer Quorn that has allowed the warehousing and logistics firm to continue its expansion and create new jobs.
The deal – the biggest since InBond underwent a management buyout in 2014 – has allowed the firm to increase floor-space at its Portrack warehousing facility in Stockton by 40,000 sq ft, whilst creating four dedicated new jobs.
InBond now store a range of Quorn packaging, ingredients and flavourings, delivering as many as 45 different products in up to three dedicated trailers on a daily basis to the food firm’s headquarters in Stokesley.
In July last year, Quorn revealed plans for a £150m expansion it says will support hundreds of North-East jobs in bolstering production lines at its factory in Billingham in a ten-year plan designed to create a “billion-dollar business”.
InBond, who have increased staffing levels to 47 as a result of the deal, have invested £180,000 in new warehouse racking, trucks and an upgraded IT system.
Director Phil Lyons said: “All of the InBond team were thrilled at winning a significant contract from such a prestigious company that has a local base but an increasingly international market.
“Winning the contract ahead of seven other companies who tendered proves we’re not only on the right track but is also a great reward for a lot of hard work by our entire workforce’’.
Specialising in warehousing, transport, document management and product enhancement, InBond’s blue chip customers already included the NHS, Next and Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.
Having previously invested in achieving ISO9001 and British Retail Consortium accreditation to food storage standards, Lyons and fellow director Craig Rye believe InBond is now well positioned to win further contracts from more high-profile companies.
“Our previous work and investments are proving invaluable in attracting industry leading brands to our specialist facility,” added Lyons.
“We have risen to the challenge of working with a company of Quorn’s exacting standards, rethinking our processes, introducing a hyper-efficient paperless process that allows the customer to track stock and orders in real time.
“By positioning ourselves as a company who will challenge with new ideas and innovations, we’ve made an excellent connection with the team at Quorn.
“We’re looking forward to developing our working relationship with them over the next five years and beyond.”