In the Spring of 2018, FSDF member NewCold unveiled its newly-completed deep frozen storage and distribution centre which, says the company, is the largest of its kind in the UK and is now, often near to capacity.
The Wakefield plant handle’s 3,000,000 pallets annually and with a total volume of over 4 million cubic metres, the giant deepfreeze has the capacity to store 143,000 pallets – at a constant, minus 23 degrees. 175 pallets come in and out every hour and just five minutes is required to unload NewCold’s bespoke-designed moving floor trailers.
Featuring some of the most advanced automated technology of its kind anywhere in the world, the NewCold plant is fully automated, and minimal handling maintains product temperature at all times. The operation is driven by Davanti software which has been improved year on year specifically to get optimum use of the automation. Furthermore, the dispatch bays are deep-frozen, whereby many conventional stores are chilled.
NewCold’s founder and CEO Bram Hage commented on the ‘challenges’ met and overcome by the NewCold team during the development and growth of the Wakefield site and referenced similar greenfield projects undertaken by NewCold elsewhere in the world.
Jon went further, to say that NewCold has so far committed around £100m on build cost alone, and their growth plans over the coming two years will see further investment, including the recruitment of an additional 70 personnel.
“With the success of the Wakefield facility and the increasing demand for a quality temperature-controlled logistics offering, NewCold are actively looking for a site for their second UK facility.
The NewCold logistics operation expands in line with their core business and so far, comprises 50 tractor units and 80 temperature-controlled trailers – many of which are high-volume double-deckers with auto-loading.
