Goodtime Foods snaps up plant

Goodtime Foods chief executive and owner Phil Pollett says the purchase of its South Island supplier will bring pie production to more than 12 million annually. Photo / Supplied

Goodtime Foods has purchased a manufacturing plant in Christchurch, bringing the number of Goodtime pies produced annually to more than 12 million.

Based in Sockburn, the bakery is about a third of the size of Goodtime's Napier operation and employs 34 locals. Goodtime Foods chief executive owner Phil Pollett has been working with the Christchurch business, which has been manufacturing Goodtime products under licence for the past 10 years.

He said Goodtime would invest heavily in improvements to bring the new plant into line with his business model.

"We have had a great 10-year relationship with the bakery in the South Island but it is bulging at the seams," he said.

"We need to put our technology, systems and processes in place, and the best way to do that was to own the business. The current owners had decided that it was time to retire, so the timing is perfect. We have the North Island covered in distribution terms and, with these intended changes, we will be able to take the business to the next level for our South Island customers."

Large-scale contracts, including a supply agreement with Z Energy service stations, has seen the South Island bakery grow by 300 per cent since 2011.

"Significant investment is required to increase its capacity. All South Island staff have been employed, so it will be business as usual with improvements taking place progressively over the coming months," he said.

The acquisition takes Goodtime's staffing level to more than 100. Senior staff members from the Christchurch operation will spend a week each at the Napier plant for training.

"Our aim is to continue to grow and to do that we need to keep improving, changing and creating investment opportunities such as this one. Our next imminent goal is to export."