Wholesale Suppliers of Italian Fine Wine & Foods to the Catering Trade
Ref.EJ013 Location KentAsking Price £ 225,000Confidential offered for sale | |
Asking price £225,000 + SAV
Asking price includes:
Reputation for honesty, reliability and responsibility
Turnover of circa £540,000 per annum
Circa 6,000 ft sq warehouse
Extensive investment in technology
Excellent opportunity to grow
Fully equipped manufacture
All fixtures and fittings
Established client base
Training and handover
Leasehold premises
Goodwill | | Finance available to buy this business subject to status. All regulated business is passed to independent financial advisors who are regulated by the FSA | Business profile: | Established in 2005 and aimed very specifically at the rapidly growing, highly profitable, Italian market this business specialises in a comprehensive range of high quality, fine wines, meat, olive oil, and pasta. All products are specially imported from Italy and supplied to the catering trade.
This company has grown considerably over the last couple of years and is now one of the leading independent, distributors of Italian produce foods in the UK, regularly supplying hundreds of customers throughout England. Its customer base includes many independent retailers, contract caterers, leisure and sports centres, hospitals, universities and colleges and other public sector outlets including some extremely prestigious sites.
This business deals directly with the suppliers, ensuring that its products are made from the finest, wholesome ingredients and can be supplied into the trade at a competitive price. With a strong corporate identity and products appearing under its own name the business has established itself as a brand in its own right with all of its products attractively packaged to generate high volume repeat sales. Utilising minimum shelf space and with a relatively long shelf life the products offer the retailer maximum profit with minimal risk and wastage.
This business prides itself in maintaining the highest possible service levels. Whilst dispatching some orders by national carriers it takes particular care to keep to its own delivery times as much as is humanly possible, having invested heavily in its own dedicated team of regular drivers, enabling it to provide slot bookings for the large majority of its customers on a next day service.
This is a very well managed, easy to run business. With turnover for the last financial year of £540,000 generating a gross profit of 45% this represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a well known brand in the wholesale distribution of snack foods and healthy options.
Equipment:
The business operates a fully computerised system with all clients details maintained on a comprehensive database, with Sage used for accounting. | Customer Service:
The business manages many customers in any normal working week who form part of a larger supply chain and has the systems, processes and people to ensure that both productivity and customers' orders are satisfied. The most important aspects of customer management and satisfaction considered by the business is honesty from which comes customer confidence and project turnaround times, which combined are responsible for the business retaining many customers and the reputation for which has led to the acquisition of new customers.
The effectiveness of customer delivery is managed by customer and business, collaborating as the link between customer orders, concerns and requirements and the business's manufacture and supply capacity, thus ensuring that there is a balance of priorities between the customer and the business.
Key Strengths:
An established company, this business enjoys high levels of awareness across its sector. This business understands the importance of branding within its marketplace and has invested heavily in the past to establish a strong brand and a strong corporate identity consistently applied throughout all marketing and promotion. Not the cheapest in the marketplace, the brand is well known for its health food positioning, its wide range of product and quality of ingredients and excellent customer service. By dealing directly with the suppliers, the business is always able to control the high quality of its product. | Growth and Expansion:
The current market for this business is competitive but consistent and is forecast in the near and longer term for significant growth. The business is well positioned to take maximum advantage of this growth as it occurs.
Business operations are not at maximum capacity and there remains considerable scope for an increase in production, turnover and profit simply by gearing operations in line with current market demand.
The business is constantly innovating and new product revenue streams can be developed into significant contributors to turnover. Added to this the business currently supplies to customers in only a part of the UK and can easily be expanded to cover the rest of the country.
Key Opportunities:
There is an outstanding opportunity to build on the existing products and customer base of this company. With a strong demand for product, combined with a capacity to increase turnover, a new owner contributing fresh ideas and investment, particularly in sales resources will have every advantage of building on an excellent platform.
This business has yet to fully exploit the opportunities available to it and could certainly extend its marketing strategies by establishing a web presence. Good commission based salesmen could also significantly increase this business’s presence within cafés and sandwich bars. | Premises:
The business operated from leasehold premises in Kent, with 20 years remaining on the current lease. The annual rent for the premises is £29,500 with rates charged at an additional £8,900.
The warehouse is circa 6,000 sq. ft. and includes two new cold storage units, 1 cold room and 1 freezer. The premises also have offices and toilets.
Business Hours:
Monday to Friday 7.00 am – 6.00 pm. (All deliveries leave at 4pm).
Security:
CCTV and an alarm secure the premises at all times. | Advertising and Marketing:
The business has used only limited advertising in the past but has found most success through word of mouth recommendation where a significant number of orders and enquiries are taken. The business currently has a website under construction. | | | Financial profile: | The business is offered for sale as a going concern. All financial discussions will take place directly between the vendor and all interested parties under the auspices of Turner Butler.
The business is financially stable with low overheads, positive cash flow, good gross and net profit and has shown a consistent financial performance throughout its ten years of operation.
The vendor feels that with investment, particularly in sales and marketing resources combined with the increase in market demand this business is currently enjoying, the business could dramatically increase its revenues and profitability. | Employees:
A husband and wife team are responsible for the running of the business, supported by 1 bookkeeper, 2 drivers and 1 warehouse operative/driver. | Support and Training
The current owner will provide all necessary training and all relevant contacts to ensure a smooth transfer of the business to new Owners. | Reason for Sale:
Our clients wish to start a family following the sale of the business. | | Turner Butler Disclosure Statement: This statement applies to information relating to any company or other undertaking or business advertised for sale by Turner Butler (a 'Business') The information supplied by Turner Butler on its website or in any other promotional material ('the Information') is not and is not intended to constitute an offer for sale of the Business or any assets of the Business or of the shares of any company which owns the Business. For the avoidance of doubt there is no intention to create a legal relationship which will only come into existence when a written contract for sale and purchase of the shares in or the Business has been entered into The Information provided is not intended to address your particular requirements. Further the Information does not constitute any form of advice recommendation representation endorsement or arrangement by Turner Butler and is not intended to be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any specific decisions. Any agreements transactions or other arrangements made between you and any client of Turner Butler are at your sole risk and responsibility. The prospective sellers of the Business have provided the Information to Turner Butler. The Information has not been verified by Turner Butler. You must carry out your own due diligence and satisfy yourself as to the accuracy of all matters. In the case of the sale of shares in a Business the Information has been prepared on the basis that the shares will consist of or include more than 50% of the voting shares and that both the seller and the buyer is either a body corporate, a partnership, a single individual or a group of connected individuals so as to fall outside the scope of regulated activities as defined by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you are considering a transaction which falls within the scope of such regulated activities you cannot do so through Turner Butler. Appropriate professional, legal and accountancy advice should be obtained before making or refraining to make any decision. Turner Butler does not accept any responsibility or liability for loss or damage of any nature that may occur by reliance on the Information. Neither Turner Butler nor any of our employees or agents makes any representation as to the completeness or accuracy of the Information nor do we accept any liability for any losses, costs, liabilities or expenses which may arise directly or indirectly from your use of, or reliance on the Information. This document is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with English Law and any dispute arising in connection with it shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts Turner & Co (GB) Limited registered in England and Wales under company no. 2477988 of registered office Savoy House Savoy Circus London W3 7DA, trading as Turner Butler © Shaun Sweeney October 2006 |
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