Construction group wins £750k extension contract with ice cream brand

Castlehouse Construction, which has offices in Manchester and Leeds, has been appointed by global ice cream brand Froneri to deliver a £750,000 extension to one of its warehouses in Skelmersdale.

The company will double the industrial unit size on its West Lancs site to support continued business growth.

Froneri was formed as a joint venture between North Yorkshire based R&R Ice Cream, owned by PAI Partners, and Nestle, in 2016 and employs 900 staff in the UK.

Headquartered at Leeming Bar, Froneri, with UK sites in Skelmersdale and Cornwall, is the largest manufacturer of ice cream in Europe and the second largest worldwide. It also holds the number one position in private label globally.

The ice cream manufacturer, which produces a wide range of ice cream, water ice and sorbet products, will extend its warehouse with an additional 10,000 sq ft which will be 9m high to accommodate the installation of automated racking.

Castlehouse Construction has started on site with the steelworks erected and the project is earmarked for completion by early August.

The whole building will be completed and operational by the Summer.

Frank Kofler, Castlehouse Construction managing director, said: “We enjoy a long-standing relationship with Froneri, having worked with the company on a range of projects, including additional production areas, offices and warehousing.

“We are delighted to be appointed to deliver this warehouse extension to support the company’s continued growth.”

Ibrahim Najafi, Froneri chief executive, said: “We are delighted to continuously invest in the Froneri brand and the Skelmersdale expansion will enable us to meet increased demands for our products in line with our strategic growth plans.

“Castlehouse Construction is a highly experienced firm, who has a strong track record with us, so we are confident they will deliver a professional project and on time. We look forward to getting the extended unit up and running.”