Jobs joy at new Walsall bakery

Seventy new jobs will be created with the opening of a new bakery factory in Walsall, it was revealed today.

Perfection Foods Ltd is expanding its Walsall operations. The family-run firm employs 40 workers at three sites but bosses say the workforce will almost triple with the opening of the new factory.

It has been built at Walsall Enterprise Park, near junction nine of the M6, and is poised to open in February or March.

The family behind the company is from Walsall.

Bosses today said they were delighted to be bringing new jobs to their hometown.

General manager Gurdeep Singh Bath said: "We are very excited as it has long been one of our ambitions to bring in new business.

"We're transferring our headquarters to Walsall and are so pleased to be creating these new jobs in the town.

"We want Walsall people to apply for the jobs, especially in management positions.

"We have a lot of expansion plans." The company also has sites in Leicester and in Friar Park Road, Wednesbury.

It recently acquired another new site in the East Midlands which it is hoped will be up and running by 2013.

Perfection Foods Ltd was established in 2000 by brothers Sukhdev Singh Bath and Balwinder Singh Bath. Balwinder had more than 30 years of baking experience after working in bakeries including Harvestime in Walsall. Sukhdev had more than 30 years of retail experience after starting up his own clothing business.

The firm bakes more than 40 cake products and supplies direct to wholesalers such as Makro, Batleys and Bestways as well as retail chains including Asda and Morrisons.

Meanwhile up to 236 workers at Walsall's Maple Leaf bakery face losing their jobs as the company looks for a new buyer.