According to the brand, the new site, which represents a further £3.6 million investment by the wholesaler, will have volume for over 2000 pallets, increasing its current frozen sales volume capacity by over 50%. As well as this, it will include voice picking, warehouse management and multi order picking onto electronic trucks - reducing the cost of order fulfilment.
According to operations director John Hepworth, chilled sales volume capacity will also double by converting the current freezer facility into a chilled store: “The new 25,000 square foot freezer store will significantly improve our frozen offering and will also allow us to double our chilled proposition. This will ensure that we can provide our end user customers with a far greater range of both chilled and frozen products.
“It also represents a significant opportunity for current, as well as potential suppliers, in that we can now provide an even faster and more cost effective route to market. Both of these investments are integral to our overall 10 year plan that will allow us the capacity to double our sales volume by 2027.”
During the depot upgrade, which coincides with Thomas Ridley Foodservice’s 100th year anniversary as a limited company, purpose built offices will also be constructed and will form the company’s new head office. Extra space for ambient storage will be created throughout.