Dog food business to create 500 jobs in move to complex
UP TO 500 new jobs are set to be created with construction of a 151,388 sq ft industrial unit in Doncaster.
Tritax Symmetry, the logistics development company of Tritax Big Box, has agreed a major deal to let its speculatively built 151,388 sq ft industrial unit at Symmetry Park, Doncaster.
Dogmates Ltd trading as Butternut Box has secured a 15-year lease on the unit and said it intends to invest significantly into its fit out for the building.
It will employ up to 500 people when the site is fully operational.
Established four years ago, Butternut Box makes dog food with fresh ingredients, which customers can custom order online for direct delivery to their door.
Over the last 12 months alone it has received over £20m from investors recognising that it is well placed to benefit from strong consumer trends among pet owners.
Butternut Box currently operates two separate sites for manufacturing and fulfilment but Symmetry Park Doncaster will facilitate a move to an end-to-end, in-house operation.
Located just off Junction 34 of the A1 (M) on the North Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire border, Symmetry Park is a distribution and industrial scheme being delivered by Tritax Symmetry which benefits from planning consent to deliver up to 721,000 sq ft of logistics space on the 54acre regionally significant site.
Freddie Oakey, associate development director at Tritax Symmetry, said, “We are pleased to secure such a high-calibre operator for our first speculative unit at Symmetry Park, Doncaster. Butternut Box clearly has excellent growth potential for the future and for the brand to select this site for its central manufacturing and distribution hub is testament to the location and excellent facilities that the park offers.”
The unit provides ancillary offices and generous parking for Butternut Box and also offers flexibility to facilitate expansion of up to 250,000 sq ft as the operation grows further.
Full site infrastructure is in place alongside excellent on-site amenities from Starbucks and KFC.
Butternut Box expects to commence its fit out immediately and become operational by March 2021.
David Nolan, at Butternut Box, said: “This move represents a huge investment in our operational capabilities for the future, as well as signalling our ambition to become an employer of choice in the area.”