The Business Continuity Challenge

Pilgrim’s Pride is an international food production company recognised worldwide for its meat products.

The Pilgrim’s site in Ruskington, formally owned by Tulip, specialises in the production of pork-based goods and deli products making it the world’s largest producer of scotch eggs.

The Ruskington branch employs over 450 people and during the 12 months leading up to the project, their factory site had been experiencing sporadic flooding as a result of a nearby river. These floods often caused staff delays and meant that the purpose-built factory car park could not be used at many points throughout the year. The company asked the project team to investigate this issue to determine the origins of the localised flooding and suggest possible solutions to reduce the impact this could have on production.

To tackle this issue, the group began their research by exploring maps of the area and researching previous groundwater level data. The students also benefitted from various site visits so that they could gain first-hand experience of the issues they were facing. After carrying out extensive research, the group concluded the severity of the flooding could be reduced through the introduction of a dike around the car park. The students also provided an extensive report highlighting their detailed suggestions for car park resurface material and the benefits of planting additional trees around their site.

The project was well received by the business and the students were praised at a site managerial level for their dedication to providing professional solutions. The students were able to apply the concepts they had learned on their courses to support a real-life business scenario which helped improve their employability and expanded their options for work in the future.