Food ingredients specialist celebrates best ever year

MACCLESFIELD-based Direct Food Ingredients is celebrating another bumper year as the company announces sales of more than £17.6m.

Figures for the year ending December 31 show a 29% uplift on its 2015 turnover (£13.7m), making last year its most successful trading year ever.

Turnover for the ingredients specialist has almost doubled since 2014 (£9m) and in 2016 benefited from a number of key developments, including expansion of its current client business and the introduction of new product ranges within categories such as sports nutrition, animal and pet nutrition and nutraceuticals.

This has allowed the firm to keep up with client demand as well as attracting new customers from a variety of sectors and importantly, the team’s unfaltering focus on customer service has remained central to all company operations.

The business, which was founded by managing director Steve Loake 22 years ago, has also seen continued success at its Los Angeles office, expanded its head office premises in Macclesfield to accommodate a larger sales team.

Loake said: “We have had another phenomenal year. The business has seen considerable expansion, whilst keeping our strong customer service focus, which lies at the heart of everything we do.

“We have introduced into the business the concept of ‘raving fans’, which governs our whole way of working, and has led to significant business growth as a direct result. Our approach is based on offering the best possible service throughout the customer journey.

“Going into 2017 we are immensely excited to be launching to market Blue Diamond®  our own product range, and are looking forward to seeing this translate into further business growth in the foreseeable future.”