Princes Group
| File:Princes-Logo.png | |
| Company type | Wholly owned subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food & Drink |
| Founded | Liverpool, England (1880) |
| Founder | Simpson & Roberts |
| Headquarters | , England |
Number of locations | 14 production sites |
Key people | Cameron Mackintosh – Managing Director,[1] Manabu Oda– Chairman |
| Products | Fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and soft drinks |
| Revenue | £1.55bn billion (March 2017)[2] |
| £28.7 million (March 2017)[2] | |
| £0.5 million (March 2017)[2] | |
Number of employees | 7,000+ |
| Parent | Mitsubishi Corporation |
| Website | princesgroup |
Princes Group is an international food and drink group[3] involved in the manufacture, import and distribution of branded and customer own-brand products. Customers include major supermarkets, convenience stores, foodservice operators, wholesale suppliers and other food manufacturers. Princes’ brands and products span over 20 different categories including fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and a broad range of soft drinks sectors.
History
Princes’ heritage dates back to 1880,[4] when it was established as a fish importing business in Liverpool, the city where its international headquarters are still located today. Initially, the company expanded into new markets including the import of canned and ambient foods from around the world. Princes’ first venture into food manufacturing happened in 1946,[4] starting a period of diversification and growth which continues today. Princes first entered continental Europe in 1960[4] and today its European operations are managed from its offices in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation since 1989,[4] Princes completed a number of high-profile mergers and acquisitions that added significant scale to the business. However, in January 2023, Mitsubishi was reported to be considering selling the Princes Group.[5]
Timeline
- 1880 Founded in Liverpool by Simpson & Roberts
- 1900 Princes Pure Foods formed, Princes brand established
- 1946 Princes starts first manufacturing venture
- 1960 Princes enters continental Europe
- 1968 Purchased by J. Bibby and Sons
- 1989 Mitsubishi Corporation buys Princes
- 1991 Princes enters the soft drinks category through the acquisition of Barraclough
- 1999 Princes acquires Tuna Mauritius
- 2001 Princes acquires both the Shippam’s and Napolina brands/businesses
- 2004 Princes acquires water business and the Aqua Pura brand
- 2005 Princes acquires cooking oils brands and forms Edible Oils Limited (EOL) joint venture business. Princes establishes MC Foods Europe
- 2010 Princes opens Princes Polska office and forms joint venture business to expand distribution of oils in eastern and central Europe
- 2011 Princes acquires two East Anglian canning operations and the Crosse & Blackwell and Farrow’s brands[6]
- 2012 Princes Industrie Alimentari S.r.L. (PIA) created and processing factory in Foggia, Italy acquired[7]
- 2015 Princes Tuna (Mauritius) completes agreement to create enlarged tuna processing operation[8]
- 2018 Princes announces business review after net profits fall to £0.5m;[2] in October 2018, Princes announces factories in Manchester and Chichester would close[9][10]
Owned and operated brands
Brands (*= licensed brands) which Princes manufacture and produce include:[11]
- Aqua Pura - natural mineral water brand sourced from Cumbria
- Batchelors* – a brand that dates back to 1895 with a range that includes canned soups and peas (under license from Premier Foods)
- Branston* – a brand well known for its store cupboard favourites such as baked beans, spaghetti bolognese, macaroni cheese and ravioli (under license from Mizkan)
- Cookeen – traditional baking fat used in pastry and made from 100% vegetable oil
- Crisp 'n Dry – popular UK vegetable oil brand
- Crosse & Blackwell - canned food brand that includes favourites such as baked beans, soups, pasta, vegetables and ready meals
- Farrow’s – British-grown giant marrowfat processed peas
- Flora* – popular sunflower oil brand
- Jucee – popular squash drinks brand
- Mazola - corn and speciality oil brand. Range includes corn, peanut, grapeseed, rapeseed and sunflower oils
- Napolina - Italian-style ingredients brand. Range includes sun-ripened tomatoes to fruity olive oils, pasta and pasta sauces, as well as more specialist grated cheese, pulses and pizza products
- Olivio* - cooking oil first launched in 1991, made with a blend of vegetable and olive oils
- Princes – the Princes range now includes over 350 food and drink products including canned fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, microwavable ready meals, sandwich fillings and soft drinks
- Pura Organic Oil* – organic sunflower oil and rapeseed oil brand first launched in 2010
- Shippam’s – traditional English brand whose range includes spreads and canned ready meals
- Trex – home baking brand which is a dairy-free alternative to butter
- Vier Diamanten – popular Austrian canned fish brand
- Wielkopolski – cooking oil used for frying, baking, salad dressings, and in cakes and desserts
Sites
Princes operates 15 production sites situated in the UK, mainland Europe and Mauritius:
UK food sites
- Chichester – on the south coast of England, this site produces a variety of pack formats from cans and jars to pouches and microwavable pots
- Long Sutton, Lincolnshire – this site produces a range of canned products including baked beans, vegetables, fruit, pulses, pies, pasta, meatballs and ready meals
- Wisbech – located in Cambridgeshire, this site produces canned and pouch products including baked beans, soups, pulses, pasta, vegetables and sauces
UK soft drinks sites
- Eden Valley – in Cumbria, this site draws natural mineral water from what is believed to be one of Europe’s largest aquifers. The site’s water sources are protected, as it is in an EU Special Area of Conservation
- Cardiff – produces juice products in cartons
- Manchester – produces fruit juices in bottle and carton formats
- Bradford – this site produces squash and carbonated soft drinks
- Glasgow – supplies canned soft drinks
UK edible oils
- Belvedere, London – located in south east London, this site produces olive and speciality oils
- Erith – located in south east London, this site produces cooking oil
International
- Foggia, Italy – this factory is one of the most modern and efficient ambient tomato processing facilities in Europe[12]
- Riche Terre, Port Louis, Mauritius – one of the most technologically advanced tuna processing facilities in the world[13]
- Marine Road, Port Louis, Mauritius - a major processing facility producing tuna loins[14]
- Szamotuły, Poland – located in the north west region of Wielkopolska, this site primarily produces rapeseed oil.
References
- ^ "Princes news: Princes announces executive appointments as it faces next phase of development". www.princesgroup.com. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d foodmanufacture.co.uk. "Princes reveals business review". foodmanufacture.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Premier Foods boosts food manufacturer's sales to £1.51bn". Foodmanufacture.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Princes : About the Company : Our History". Princesgroup.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ Mattinson, Alec (11 January 2023). "Princes owner in search of buyer as sales fall sharply". The Grocer. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Insider News North West – Princes targets £2bn after record year". Insidermedia.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ Hodgson, Neil (3 May 2012). "Princes Group in Italian production deal - Business News - LDP Business". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "Princes ups profit as UK sales decline". 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Factories to close as canned foods business automates". 12 October 2018..
- ^ foodmanufacture.co.uk. "Princes Manchester juice factory has £3.8m price tag". foodmanufacture.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Princes : Our Brands". Princesgroup.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "Princes to double size of European revenues following acquisition of Italian tomato factory". Princes Group. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "Sourcing and Manufacturing". Princes Group. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Marine Road".