FDBusiness.com

Food and drink supply chain specialist Culina has announced plans to open a major chilled distribution centre at Cabot Park, Bristol later this year. The new state-of-the-art 210,000ft2 (19,500m2) distribution centre will replace the current Culina warehouse on an adjacent site. It is being commissioned to add capacity to the company’s network, provide additional capability in the South West and support significant recent contract extensions and new business wins with major food brands in the region.

“Our current site in Bristol has been a great success and provided our customers in the South West with an excellent service over the last four years,” says Steve Winwood, Chief Operating Officer at Culina Group. “The business has matured and now is the right time for us to invest in this new development which will help us to offer customers an even bigger and better service.”

The new distribution centre will go live in the second quarter of 2013. The old and new sites will operate in tandem for a short period, to ensure a seamless transition for customers. All employees from the company’s existing facility at Cabot Park will transfer to the new site once the transition is completed. The company expects to create over 100 new jobs in the region to manage the enlarged round-the-clock operation.

The development represents a multi-million pound investment for Culina and is the latest stage in the company’s long-term strategy to grow the business. The company already supports a number of dairy, juice, packed meat and other food producers in the South West from its existing facility at Cabot Park. The new development will create the largest shared user chilled warehouse in the region and enable Culina to consolidate and enhance its range of services. It will effectively double the company’s storage capacity in the region and add around 10,000 chilled pallet locations to its UK chilled network.

The new distribution centre will exclusively contain chilled storage but incorporates facilities for cross-docking ambient loads. This will enable Culina to support customers across its portfolio with its highly efficient shared user model which ensures minimum vehicle and pallet movements for reduced handling costs, shorter lead times and fewer road miles. Culina expects around 20 major brands/contracts will be based at the site, once it is fully operational.

Culina is currently configuring the facility to meet its specific operational and business requirements. The site will incorporate 25 dock level loading doors and four level access doors to enable flexibility with high volume throughput, 12m eave height to accommodate high density storage racking, administration offices, HGV parking, yard and security areas. Facilities are being specified to operate to the highest energy-efficiency, environmental and sustainability standards in the industry in line with Culina Group policy.

Cabot Park has proven to be the ideal strategic location to serve customers in the South West as part of the company’s growing UK network. Its position close to the M4, M5 and other motorways is convenient for customers in the region and ensures the company can maintain an efficient on-time, outbound delivery schedule to meet service level commitments.