Examiner for Union Food Distributors

An examiner will be appointed next month to Union Food Distributors which supplies frozen and dry foods to restaurants and supermarkets including Dunnes Stores and Eurospar.

An application was made in the High Court last week for the appointment to one of Sligo’s best known companies.

James Clarke, manager of the Ballisodare-based firm, said he was confident that Union Food Distributors would continue to trade through the examinership period and that the 19 jobs would be secure.

The company has been operating for more than 40 years and was originally associated with the distribution of eggs. As well as distributing foods such as Manor Farm chickens and Yoplait yogurts to shops and supermarkets, it also supplies catering products to restaurants in the northwest.

The firm recently sold its drinks distribution business.

Mr Clarke said Union Food Distributors had consulted with its 18 suppliers recently and had been assured of their support in making the application for protection on December 20th.

A petition for the appointment of an examiner is due to be heard in the High Court on January 21st.

The directors of the company are horse trainer Derek Pugh from Rosses Point Co Sligo and his wife Bernadette.

Pretax loss

Mr Pugh is a brother of footballer David Pugh.

Latest accounts for Union Food Distributors show that it booked a pretax loss of just over €532,000 for the year ended December 2010.

Mayor of Sligo David Cawley said that the company was an indigenous Sligo firm owned by a family with strong local connections which had a long tradition in the region.

Cllr Cawley said the appointment of an examiner was a process which created space for the restructuring of debs and which also gave companies time to work through their difficulties.

He said there was every reason to be hopeful that Union Food Distributors would trade through these difficulties and that the jobs could be saved.