Lancashire based halal food manufacturer KQF has announced the recruitment of several new employees as part of its continuing plans for expansion, which have included the launch of new product ranges, new contract manufacturing deals and new distribution agreements.
Notable appointments include Zahir Patel to the role of key trade account manager and Ilyas Akubat, who joins as manager of the recently acquired KQF Superstore in Blackburn.
Both the new recruits have impressive track records in the retail trade – Zahir having previously worked for Graham & Brown and, prior to joining KQF, as a retail development executive for GlaxoSmithKline, where he worked with well known brands such as Ribena and Lucozade.
Ilyas is a highly experienced store manager who has spent more than twenty-five years in the industry. He most recently managed a large forecourt retail outlet that secured a national award for excellence in customer service and, working alongside KQF managing director Faruk Vali, he will now be leading the transformation of the superstore.
“The changes at KQF are now picking up pace,” said managing director Faruk Vali. “Consequently, we need additional staff to deal with the increasing volumes of business and a more diverse range of activities. It’s all moving in a very positive direction and I’m confident that we’re building up the right mix of skills and experience to maintain steady but controlled growth.”
