Dairylink drinks to finance boost
Staffordshire-based Dairylink has secured funding as part of plans to become a leading supplier and distributor of milk to children in schools. The funding, from Aldermore Invoice Finance, will aim to improve the cashflow of the £500,000-turnover business.
It hopes that will help it to work with more educational authorities to source milk from processors and distributors.
Dairylink, founded in 2009, already provides milk for thousands of schoolchildren in 200 schools in Northumberland and West Wales. The business says it has ambitious plans for expansion now the free school milk scheme for under-fives has been secured.
Founder Barbara Griffiths said: “The loss of free school milk for the under-fives would have been catastrophic for thousands of pre-school children, many of whom, due to social circumstance, rely on the milk they’re given at nursery and in reception for their daily calcium intake. So the rejection of the proposals by the coalition government was welcome news.
“With Aldermore Invoice Finance’s support, I am looking to expand into a £2.5m turnover business over the next five years as we tender more contracts with local authorities across England and Wales.”
James Cresswell, regional sales manager at Aldermore Invoice Finance based in Birmingham, said: “Dairylink is thriving in a dairy sector increasingly dominated by the big supermarkets. Their success demonstrates what can be achieved by a determined entrepreneur with the right support.”
