PROCUREMENT PROGRESS by making supplier agreements in higher volumes than in years gone by . Standardising key ingredients across Europe was one way the company was able to consolidate its supply chain and become more efficient .
The first European store opened in Dublin in 1992 , where the franchisee found a local baker and meat supplier to get the right quality of ham and bread . Those two companies are still supplying the Subway bread today and have grown with the system . But the firm still only has two companies manufacturing bread with one factory in Germany and another in the UK , so EIPC is currently looking and identifying where its new bread factory should be , to support the growth in demand for Subs .
Attwood said : “ They took the chance at the time and now Dawn Farm Foods and Evron Foods supply a significant share of cooked meats and bakery to stores across Europe . Because EIPC is not set up like a supermarket where you have a head office setting down the rules , everyone has to collaborate because we are all separate entities working towards a common goal , this is what makes the company exciting to work for .
Mike Attwood , Purchasing Director for EIPC
“ The Subway brand is looking at doubling the size of the business by 2020 , growing to about 8,000 European stores , so we need those suppliers to be able to grow with us . Anyone who plans doubling their volume in 5 years should know it ’ s a nice problem to have but requires good planning and supply chain management .
“ We ’ ve got a great team who know how to break into new markets and once you can get a supply chain in place and get these gold-standard products to store it makes a huge difference . One of the exciting things we do is buy globally ; for example buying tuna from South East Asia and working with the other tuna buyers in the other IPC organisations in the worldwide group . We build international relationships and that ’ s where the Subway brand can make the difference .”
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