James Fleming and Company, the fruit-based food manufacturer that owned Morley’s in Hightown, Congleton, has reported a return to profitability in its latest annual accounts, despite a slight dip in revenue.
For the year ended 31st December 2024, the company posted revenue of £36.6 million, down 0.9% on the previous year.
However, profit before tax rose to £160,744 — an improvement of £459,744 compared to the previous year’s loss of £291,064.
The company attributed the turnaround to “internal process efficiencies and cost improvements,” which helped lift its profit margin from 17% to 24%.
The company said that following the consolidation of manufacturing activities onto a single main site, it had prioritised a series of efficiency programmes alongside ongoing training and development for staff.
Turnover was split between £28.9 million from UK operations and £7.7 million from the rest of Europe.
The report said that Labour shortages remained “a challenge”, particularly in production and semi-skilled roles, contributing to “significant wage inflation” over the year.
The company also noted the impact of recent employment legislation introduced by the Labour Government, including increases to the minimum wage and planned new rights for employees from their first day of work.
Fleming is part of the Royal Zeelandia Group, a large family-owned international business.
Following the completion of its UK acquisition strategy, the firm will merge with other Zeelandia entities this year to form Zeelandia UK.
The company’s core activity remains the manufacture of fruit-based food products for the bakery, wholesale, and confectionery sectors.
