Palletforce opens £50 million SuperHub in Burton-upon-Trent
The pallet network made the investment at the company’s central site, with the 620,000 sq ft bespoke facility said to reinforce its position as leader of the express distribution sector.
The SuperHub is is said to be the largest drive-through distribution centre in Europe and will create the capacity needed to enable growth of member companies. In addition to first-class warehousing, the 38-acre site has 450 truck parking spaces, while single-shift sortation allows for faster turnaround and creates extended delivery windows for member collection and delivery vehicles.
It is anticipated the additional capacity will fuel growth, helping to create around 70 new jobs within Palletforce and an estimated 700 across the Palletforce membership.
Since its acquisition by EmergeVest in 2015, Palletforce has invested over £65 million across its network – in infrastructure, technology, acquisitions and people. The SuperHub, by far the largest chunk of that investment, has the capacity to handle over 30,000 pallets per night at the UK’s optimum overnight distribution location.
The new building has enhanced environmental features, such as rainwater harvesting for external taps and toilet flushing. Lighting will be automatically switched LED and the SuperHub will offer electric car charging points.
Michael Conroy, Palletforce chief executive officer, said: “We’ve come a long way from our modest facilities of the past and the new SuperHub represents an emphatic expression of confidence in our future – the latest in a line of significant investments in our network.
“No other pallet or distribution network in the UK has shown the ability to take such a significant step to create capacity, facilitate growth and ensure the future success of its membership and network. It also positions us perfectly to take advantage of market consolidation, which is inevitable in our sector.
“The £50 million investment is unique in the pallet network sector and it places the bespoke SuperHub facilities miles ahead of our competitors. People want to be part of our success story and are attracted by our commitment and confidence, we’ve added six new members already this year and there is even more to come.”
