ORCHARD Valley Foods in Tenbury has made two major senior appointments.

Gill Hodgson has recently joined Orchard Valley Foods as sales director as the company reaches a £20m turnover and prepares for further profitable growth.

A further senior appointment of Roy Blendell as site planner takes the company headcount to 54.

Gill Hodgson brings a wealth of account, sales and business unit management experience to the varied accounts portfolio she will oversee at Orchard Valley Foods.

She has demonstrated her ability to work with a team to drastically improve both turnover and profitability. Her previous position was with competitor Nimbus Foods in Dolgellau.

Roy Blendell was most recently at Rich Products and has been involved in the supply chain across a handful of positions in the food industry and manufacturing. He is a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

“Orchard Valley Foods has been growing rapidly and consistently, so it’s important we have the best people in all positions,” said managing director Mike Forrester.

“The appointments of Gill Hodgson, whose performance we have observed with admiration, and Roy Blendell, whom we are delighted has joined us from one of our key customers, are exactly the calibre of new team members we look for. It is an exciting time at Orchard Valley Foods following the recent acquisition of Food Ingredients International.”

Tenbury based Orchard Valley Foods is a developer, manufacturer, distributor and sales and marketing business. The product ranges are firstly confections, decorations and inclusions, and also specialist powder food ingredients.

Channels of trade cover food manufacturing, wholesale, food service, quick service restaurants, confectionery, ice cream, desserts, breakfast cereals, and components for food manufacturers.