PIZZA maker Stateside Foods has created 50 extra jobs after agreeing to buy a building adjacent to its factory at Wingates Industrial Park in Westhoughton.

The building, currently the DABS.com National Logistics Centre, is to become Stateside’s new distribution centre.

Stateside, as part of the Freiberger Group, has had significant investment and has grown steadily over the last 20 years, supplying fresh pizza to retailers such as Asda, Co-op, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

The purchase has taken place during May and the distribution centre will be ready for use in September.

Stateside is sponsoring the Business of the Year category for the second year in the Bolton and Bury Business Awards.

Stateside Foods has meanwhile been throwing its weight behind local good causes with the firm sponsoring a football team for children and young adults with learning disabilities.

The Westhoughton-based comp-any has provided the AFC Masters squad with a new kit, and operations director Bob Marnell was on hand for the official presentation at St Joesph’s High School and Sports College in Chorley New Road, Horwich – even participating in a penalty shoot-out.

“It’s great to get involved in the local community,” said Mr Marnell. “Our work with AFC Masters is part of our corporate social responsibility strategy, and we will be looking to engage with them more in the future.”

Employees of Stateside have also been raising cash in aid of the Breast Cancer Care Charity by taking part in the through-the-night 5km Electric Run.

Team Stateside members Joe Carne, Debbie Leech, Laura Woolfrey and Heather Middlehurst were joined by Laura Porter from the USN Bolton Arena with whom Stateside has formed a close working relationship.

“It was unfortunate that the weather was so poor during the run, as we were very cold and wet by the end of the night,” said Ms Leech. But we still had fun dressing up and it was all for a good cause. There was a fantastic atmosphere, despite the weather and we were proud to be part of the team.”

Donations can still be made via Team Stateside’s Just Giving page.

Stateside Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Freiberger Group, which is part of Südzucker — the ninth largest food group in Europe.

Südzucker is the largest own label supplier of pizza on the continent, producing more than three millions units a day for worldwide distribution, from Chicago to Shanghai.

Stateside has been in business for more than 20 years, and supplies leading food retailers with branded and own label chilled pizzas.