Stephen says around £100,000 worth of stock has been taken
A man has issued a warning after thieves broke into his business’ warehouse. Stephen Smullen, 39, from Kirkby, is the managing director of Protein Bargain Wholesale, a Burscough-based sports nutrition distributor.
The business was set-up five years ago and is already achieving turnovers of £30m, supplying goods to sport nutrition firms across the north west such as PER4M and CNP. However, Stephen’s firm suffered a set-back last month when thieves cut through the cladding of their warehouse on the Seafire Business Park in Burscough.
Stephen says around £100,000 worth of stock has been taken. Stephen told the ECHO: “Naturally, it’s been a difficult situation for the business. As a team, we’re incredibly resilient and already focused on moving forward. If anything this has strengthened our mindset and we’ll continue to work even harder as a result.
“That said, as a director, it does make me feel quite sad. We have a fantastic young group of staff who work extremely hard, and incidents like this can impact progression and momentum, especially for growing businesses. We’re fortunate to be in a position where we can push through this, but not every business is.”
Protein Bargain Wholesale are offering a £10,000 reward in exchange for information about the incident and are aiming to get as much of the stock back as possible.
Stephen said: “In response to the incident, we’ve emailed over 3,000 accounts within our network to make them aware of the situation and asked for their vigilance in flagging any suspicious or undervalued stock appearing on the market.
“Our aim is to make it as difficult as possible for these goods to be resold without a clear route back to us. We’ve built strong relationships with our retailers and partners over the past five years since incorporation, and the level of support and outreach we’ve received from them has been fantastic and genuinely appreciated.”
Stephen has warned that, without greater protections, more smaller firms will suffer similar incidents. There have been three break-ins on this estate over the last year. One of these was at Luxe Collective, a clothing firm who cited the burglary of their unit as a major factor in the business temporarily closing in May. It is not known whether these incidents are linked.
He said: “I do believe more needs to be done in terms of protection and visible presence, both on industrial estates and within the wider community. While I understand resources are stretched, small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of local communities providing jobs and opportunities for people of all ages.
“Without stronger deterrents, whether that’s increased patrols or preventative measures, it can leave businesses vulnerable to opportunistic and more organised crime.
“At the same time, this isn’t just about businesses it’s about the safety of the wider community too. There needs to be continued focus on protecting women, children and the elderly, and ensuring people feel safe in all environments.
“There have actually been three break-ins on this estate in the past 12 months, one of which was Luxe Collective, who sadly closed their doors not long after their incident. It highlights how damaging these situations can be, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.
“I would like to say a big thank you to Crompton Developments who own the site in Burscough, who have been incredibly supportive throughout this. They’ve gone above and beyond to help us during a difficult time.”
Crompton Developments were approached for comment. A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “This has been reported – burglary of a non-dwelling around 10.40pm on April 21. A quantity of protein supplements was stolen. Anyone with information, please contact 101 – quoting log 0512 of April 22.”
