Grant helps Elland firm take next steps towards expansion

New Ivory works with some of the leading supermarkets and retailers to develop and manufacture sauces, gravies and dressings with the aim to bring restaurant quality taste to home cooked food. They manufacture on an industrial scale as well as providing insight and advice to other businesses.

The company have experienced a period of growth over the past year and have ambitious plans to expand. They recognised the need to invest in the capabilities of its staff and approached the LEP for support to train their existing staff. This resulted in a successful application for funding from the LEP to develop the leadership skills of its mid management team, thereby helping to shape the company’s strategy and define its culture.

In total, 10 staff undertook the training, which has enabled them to develop their personal and practical skills such as time management, presentation and organisational strategy. New Ivory have previously struggled with recruiting the right calibre of staff, in particular graduates to their manufacturing plant in Elland, and the training undertaken has also provided current staff with recruiting, interviewing skills and effective performance management, ensuring the company is able to continue its growth and invest in new current staff.

Adam Jones, managing director at New Ivory, said: “The funding from the LEP has really motivated us to push our company even further, and we’re so excited about the doors that it’s going to open for us.

“We’re committed to investing in our teams, and always ensure that we have the best possible people available to drive our customers’ agendas. The training that we’re putting in place following the funding will help to not only improve our team’s skills, but create opportunities for promotion.

“As an ambitious company looking to expand further, funding from the LEP has really helped us to reach our goals.”