MANAGEMENT TODAY AWARDS FOR MANUFACTURING 2002: BEST SUPPLY CHAIN - The PricewaterhouseCoopers Award

JOINT WINNER: NATURES WAY FOODS

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Over the year, Natures Way Foods runs its salad preparation plant at Runcton, near Chichester, at 42% of capacity. And it plans to keep it that way so that during the peak summer months it can meet 100% of the orders of its main customers, Tesco, McDonald's, Morrisons and Pret a Manger. By risking subcontracting the last 5% 'we'd have a very different capital expenditure and operations performance profile', concedes operations director Tony Macken. 'But our strategy is to go for 100% customer satisfaction and service.'