MCGHEE'S Bakery has signalled plans to build its presence in the export and frozen food markets after announcing a £3 million investment in its Glasgow production facility.
The family-owned baker has targeted growth of 10 per cent this year as extends its premises at the M8 Food Park by a third.
The expansion, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2016, comes in the year the Port Dundas- based firm celebrates its 80th anniversary.
McGhee's hopes the investment will lead to as many as 50 new jobs at the site. It currently employs about 236 staff across its operations Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
The company is in the process of supplying for a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant of £500,000 for the project, with the bulk of the funding coming from its own resources.
Managing director Gordon McGhee said: "The business has enjoyed strong growth following our move to the M8 Food Park ten years ago and we are fully focused on building our reputation and offering.
"Our significant investment in extending the bakery will help us consolidate and expand that offering to customers, in particular the export market and frozen food sectors."
Mr McGhee, who runs the business with his brother Stuart and cousin Ian, is looking to build the McGhee's brand around Europe and in North America, having recently exported a batch of caramel shortcake to a customer across the Atlantic.
And he said the extension would give the firm, which has received £18m of investment since its current Glasgow bakery was built 10 years ago, the capability to take its frozen products further south in the English market.
McGhee's customer base ranges from catering outlets in university cafes and call centre staff canteens to small retailers and large supermarkets, with its output covering the "whole spectrum of bakery products."
"It's finding the right product to go into the right area," said Mr McGhee.
McGhee's expansion plans have been announced shortly after the firm won a hat-trick of wins for McGhee's at the recent Scottish Baker Awards, including the award for Scottish Baker of the Year.
It was the first time McGhee's, which was also named best wholesale baker and won a bronze for its potato scone product, had lifted the coveted title.
Mr McGhee said the firm's success at the awards was "beyond everyone's expectations".
He noted: "It's an absolutely superb result for the business and testament to the hard work, craft and dedication of the whole team across all sites.
"Year on year we have worked tirelessly to build our brand, keeping a keen eye on costs and quality, while constantly investing in expansion of our site, production capacity and flexibility for customers.
"While we are, and we hope, always be renowned for our morning goods business, being able to diversify our offering in an ever-competitive marketplace is crucial.
"That's why successes over the last 12 months such as increasing partnerships with key major retailers and niche customers, like hospitals, get the offering right for their own customers will help McGhee's continue to grow and reinvest."
The latest accounts for McGhee's show the firm turned over £23.4 million in the period between July 28, 2013 and August 2, 2014, up from £22.2m. Profits before tax were broadly unchanged at £1.4m.
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