Ground broken on £23m DC in Southampton
The 200,000 sq ft distribution centre is to be built on the Port of Southampton strengthening the city’s port-centric logistics capacity.
In partnership with ABP in Southampton, Import Services, has broken ground on the new 200,000 sq ft warehouse with construction company Midas. This new facility will adjoin Import Services’ existing distribution hub, which will double operational capacity.
The warehouse has been designed to BREEAM ‘excellent’ sustainability standard and will feature a further £2.5 million roof mounted solar array investment from ABP. This solar panel installation will more than double the existing solar power generated on the port.
The port-centric location and close proximity to the container port ensures the most optimum route to market alleviating the need to transport containers inland to distribution centres cutting time, cost and carbon from supply chains. This investment from ABP and Import Services will ensure the company’s operational set-up continues to enable future developments in the sector responding to customers’ needs.
This new port-side logistics centre will enable Import Services, which is a subsidiary of Xpediator, to hold stock under bond for order processing and distribution across the UK, continental Europe and global markets. The 24 new access doors plus VNA pallet storage configuration plus state-of-the-art equipment and systems are designed to boost throughput for containers and road vehicles.
Mike Thomas, client services director at Import Services, said: “Import Services’ new distribution centre will be just 100 metres away from where the deep sea container ships dock. With this new facility plus technologically advanced equipment, our teams will be able to process containers efficiently, process orders and deliver straight to the point of demand.
“Reducing the amount of carbon generated by the logistics industry is front of mind in our thinking. We know port-centric distribution can reduce supply chain emissions and the use of back-haul working with retailers can realise further carbon reductions. Our port-centric model, with this new distribution centre, will allow us to take important steps forward in tackling time, cost and carbon, the three key components of supply chains, as we head into the 2020s.”
Images: Import Services
