Harrogate animal feed company expands into 27,000 sq ft unit

Primary Diets, which produces specialist nutrition products for piglets and game birds, is expanding its operation on the Potter Business Park in Ripon, to cater for increased sales in the UK and from overseas.

The company, which is part of AB Agri Limited, the agricultural division of Associated British Foods, began its factory operation on the Ripon site 22 years ago and subsequently stored the raw material and pellets in an existing warehouse on the estate.

Potter Space, which owns and operates the estate, is in the process of building a bespoke 27,000 sq ft warehouse next to the feed mill, accommodating Primary Diets growth.

The contract for the new build has been awarded to Shipley-based Stainforth Construction by Potter Space and work has now begun on site with completion expected in August 2019.

General manager of Primary Diets, Dr Ian Wellock, said: “With the company going from strength to strength we were beginning to outgrow our current warehousing facilities.

“We certainly did not want to leave our current location in Ripon, as it is perfectly placed close to the motorway network to facilitate the distribution of our specialists feeds across the UK and to 70 countries globally.

“We were therefore delighted when the team at Potter Space agreed to build a new facility to facilitate our expansion programme.

“We have maintained an excellent relationship with them over the two decades we have been on site and they have always worked closely with us as we continued to evolve and grow.”