Home » News » 2 Sisters Food Group Ltd Purchase » Clipping Lloyd Maudners Sale Not Necessarily Bad News For Employees
Expess and Echo
Tuesday 22 January 2008
LLOYD MAUNDER'S SALE 'NOT NECESSARILY BAD NEWS' FOR EMPLOYEES
One of the region's largest employers has been sold to a Midlands- based food group for an undisclosed sum.
Willand-based Lloyd Maunder has revealed that the business has been sold to the 2 Sisters Food Group.
The poultry processing business was founded by the Maunder family in 1898, and has remained in family ownership for more than 100 years.
Current directors Peter, Andrew and Richard Maunder will all remain with the company. 2 Sisters, which supplies chicken products to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors, said it has plans for future investment at the site, which processes 500,000 chickens a week. It is hoped that the sale will mean the creation of new jobs at the site, which already has a workforce of around 800. Lloyd Maunder's chain of 15 butcher's shops throughout Devon and Cornwall are not included in the sale. These will remain with Lloyd Maunder Holdings and continue to be managed by the current shops team, overseen by Andrew Maunder. Two years ago, the firm ceased production of lamb, making the abattoirs surplus to requirements. A spokeswoman for Lloyd Maunder said the deal was completed on Friday evening. She added: "2 Sisters has bought the company with a view to invest and that will probably mean more jobs, not fewer, though we don't know anything for definite. It's not necessarily bad news. "2 Sisters are meeting with all staff and all departments. This is a period of evaluation and consultation. I am sure 2 Sisters will act quite quickly. "The directors' association with the company is obviously very strong. 2 Sisters has not parachuted in a new management team to our knowledge. "It will still continue to be running as it's running now." The spokeswoman said that Lloyd Maunder was approached by 2 Sisters with an offer. She added: "Lloyd Maunder is a small player and there are some big competitors out there. "They felt a great sense of loyalty to staff as well. Further capital investment was needed. "The best way to get that was to become part of a larger food group." Ranjit Singh, founder and CEO of 2 Sisters, said: "We're planning to develop the operation further as a regional centre of excellence for specialist poultry production. "Lloyd Maunder has been a leading light in the UK poultry industry for 50 years and we'll be looking to build on that success." Andrew Maunder said: "Ultimately, this is good news for poultry production in the region. "We are all staying on to work with 2 Sisters Food Group, which we hope will help make it as smooth a transition as possible."