After a challenging few years, Capespan UK appears to be back on a firm footing with profits up for a second year and sales of £66.3 million.
The firm claims improvement in performance is largely down to “a more focused understanding of the cost chain” from supplier to customer, while closer ties with third-party suppliers have given Capespan more control over its packing and distribution operations.
In its 2013 business report, the firm said it invested £1m in new machinery for packing and sorting produce, which has effectively brought these operations in-house through a “flexible third-party working relationship.”
Capespan also underwent a change in shareholding last year, and now has a simplified shareholder structure, with Zeder Investments acquiring the shares held by exiting Total Produce.
All major contracts were renewed during 2013, leading to “stability of revenue streams”, while key additions to the senior management team have also been instrumental in securing a stronger future for Capespan’s UK business.
Current MD Steve McVickers has been in charge since 2012, while senior account manager James Miller joined in 2014. In the wider group, CEO Johan Dique told FPJ sister publication Eurofruit that recent acquisitions in South Africa, the Far East and Turkey were part of an overall strategy to reposition the firm and its affiliates: “We now have the ingredients of a strong management team, financial muscle and the ability to implement quickly,” he said.
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