Frostkrone Food Group: a Positive Balance Sheet for Frostkrone UK
Managing Director Phil Skelding talks about his first months at Frostkrone UK
Rietberg/Germany, 20 April 2023. Since the middle of last year Phil Skelding, in his capacity as Managing Director, has been spearheading operations at the Frostkrone Food Group locations in Great Britain. And after having spent just over six months in the Company Group, this experienced manager now takes stock of the situation and comes up with his first and indeed positive balance sheet.
“I joined Frostkrone because I wanted to work at a company assured of huge growth potential, a company taking on a real leading role in its business sector. Every day we discover opportunities enabling us to develop our potential further and customers and clients are enormously interested in collaborating with us,” explains Phil Skelding enthusiastically. And here speaks a man who so far in his professional life has been able to gather vast experience in the food industry. Prior to his time with the Frostkrone Food Group, he had spent eight years at Greencore and for four years he was also Managing Director at Samworth Brothers. “I believe that the most significant skill that I can fall back on at the present time is the ability to lead teams safely through processes of change,” reports Phil Skelding, adding “In such a fast-moving enterprise like Frostkrone, we are in a constant state of further development. Against this backcloth, it is vital that our workforce experiences the feel-good factor in such a scenario and that everyone accepts changes as a necessary part of a burgeoning company intent on self-improvement.”
Frostkrone UK with Two Strong Locations
In Great Britain our Company Group, with its headquarters located in the town of Rietberg in the federal German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, can rely on the innovation and production capacities of two high-octane locations: The Kirkcaldy location has been part of the Frostkrone Food Group since 2020 and had already been developing and producing frozen finger food variations for the wholesale trade, for retailers and for the food service sector for more than 30 years. The location boasts cutting-edge production facilities and operates with two production lines. In 2021, another site was also acquired in Abergavenny.
Frostkrone UK is one of the UK's leading finger food manufacturers and is in a position to quickly and flexibly implement tailor-made ideas for its customers. Under the auspices of a hugely popular vegetarian segment, the company group is riding high with its trendy product selections and well-thought-out recipes. And thanks to its innovative production lines, Frostkrone UK has enjoyed significant and economic growth in the last few years. The fresh food segment is also no stranger to the company, which already boasts rich experience in this field and offers a captivating selection of products. Its customers represent reputable and internationally operating foodstuff and food service brands. And the significant export markets for the company are Australia, Japan and the USA.
In future, teams at the various locations will be working closely together with a view to learning even more from one another and also in order to be mutually supportive of one another. “To a certain extent we are still working as two separate companies. But, as we continue to integrate the individual companies, we will start to achieve considerable improvements. That is so because it is undeniable that there are many areas where outstanding work is being performed. And it is here that we will adapt processes and structures to operate across the board, whatever the location
Close Collaboration of Locations within the Company Group
Phil Skelding is of the opinion that similar, close collaboration between the international locations could also bring about enormous advantages. Last year he was able to take a look at their individual processes: “It was really fantastic to work together with new colleagues. We benefit enormously from each other and learn new skills and work methods. In addition, all of us are in the process of implementing profitable synergies.
The result of good cooperation: the Flavourites developed and produced in Germany will in future be sold on the British market.
These new Flavourites are manufactured using a special technology, which allows the size and weight of finger food and snacks to be flexibly adapted in line with customer requirements. There is also a high degree of flexibility when it comes to the choice of ingredients.
At Frostkrone UK, too, new finger food and snack ideas are now making their grand entrance: “In Great Britain we are permanently required to bring out new products. And we are currently developing some pretty exciting ones.”
Chances and Challenges
Phil Skelding believes that the industry will face huge challenges in 2023 but he is nevertheless confronting the future with optimism. “The universal cost of living crisis sweeping across Great Britain at the moment means that we have to be extremely competitive for our customers. If we are efficient and deliver good performance, we can ensure that prices will stay at a level which consumers can still afford. We’ve got the expertise to do this, the technical equipment and also fantastic, committed staff. And it is to these employees that I am pleased to grant the necessary freedom so that they can continue to develop their professional skills in a most positive way.”
ABOUT THE FROSTKRONE FOOD GROUP
The Frostkrone Food Group - with its headquarters located in the town of Rietberg, in the federal German state of North Rhine-Westphalia - stands out in sharp relief because of its incredibly wide variety of finger food and snacks. The Group markets its products in the food retail trade and also in the food service industry.
The many-faceted range of products is available worldwide in a great deal of countries including those in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Switzerland, in the eastern European countries, Asia and in the USA.
The Frostkrone Food Group boasts several cutting-edge production facilities in Germany, France, Great Britain and in the USA. Since its founding in 1997, the company has established itself as an innovative trendsetter in the deep-frozen, convenience food segment.
