Grimsby seafood processor Kirwin Brothers is planning a major move to new premises.
The long-standing cod and haddock specialist has lodged an application to significantly expand a vacant site on the town’s South Humberside Industrial Estate.
It would see the company move off the North Wall, having grown from a contract filleting organisation launched in 1983 to become one of the larger family-owned entities in the UK seafood capital.
Lea Kirwin, who heads the business up with brother Glen, confirmed it was the intention to move, but the coronavirus outbreak has seen immediate plans put on hold, as it deals with the fallout in the retail and wholesale categories it serves.
In the application, with North East Lincolnshire Council now, the £22.8 million turnover company states the relocation would allow the business to “accommodate growth and economic sustainability associated with a growing customer base,” having hit capacity at a site that has no further room for expansion. It currently employs a 100-strong team.
The Estate Road One site was previously used for food processing, but has been vacant for several years. Should it be approved and the move happen, then it would see Kirwin Brothers become a near neighbour to Northcoast Seafoods, itself having relocated acquired operations from Stallingborough and office-based teams from Europarc.
Both sit close to Great Grimsby Business Park, where Seachill’s original premises has been significantly expanded and Iceland Seafood International is merging Havelok with sister business Barraclough, of Bradford, in the huge former Five Star Fish plant.
The Kirwin proposal is for a plot currently hosting a previously reduced 1,511 sq m factory and 1,042 sq m office facility on a single hectare site bordered by the A180.
The application, handled by Waltham’s DMC Architecture, is for a further 700 sq m to be added with a single storey extension linking office block with production buildings along the western element, with potential for further development. The whole of the extended ground floor space would be dedicated to production and storage.
A June deadline has been set for determination.
