A new logistics company has worked with a neighbouring East Yorkshire business to create the ideal layout for a launch warehouse.
Newport Freight Services was a new year addition to Dianthus Business Park, at the A63 and M62 intersection.
A joint venture between experienced logistics professional Graham Cross and JZ Flowers’ founder Jelle Zwemstra, it has taken on 22,500 sq ft of refurbished space and a 30,000 sq ft chilled operation.
Mr Cross said: “I’m a huge supporter of the Humber region; we’re the biggest trading estuary in the UK, have fantastic business-minded institutions, and a real entrepreneurial zeal.
“Being at Newport means we have access to the entire world via the ports, and to the rest of the UK via the motorway network.
“We’re a stone’s throw away from the M62 corridor and are already doing a lot of business with Leeds and Manchester, and that is just the start of our journey. We couldn’t have picked a better location for the business.”
The company, which specialises in freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution, has a low eave building but with Eastrington-based Filstorage created a layout with more than 2,000 palletised bays.
Extra capacity for further growth has also been accommodated for the firm.
Mr Cross said: “Filstorage did the principal designs, which we then tweaked to the final plans. They came up with a great layout that made best use of the space in a fairly challenging environment.
“The installation took around two weeks and they were flexible as the designs changed slightly about halfway through. But it was no issue. They came in on time and on budget with a great job.”
As part of the contract, Filstorage installed a new form of galvanised pallet racking which is more efficient to assemble and more robust.
Humber ports and logistics news:
Gary Winter, Filstorage’s business development manager for the North East, said maximising space had been a challenge because of the height of the building, but he added his team and NFS had created an innovative solution.
He said: “Before Graham started the business, the warehouse was in need of refurbishment to bring it up to the same standard as the other buildings on Dianthus Business Park.
“That work was carried out and the result is a fantastic, modern facility, but the eaves are lower than a lot of newer warehouses.
“This is what presented the challenge. We had to ensure we came up with a design that gave NFS all the capacity they needed, and room to grow.
“That meant utilising the floor space as efficiently as possible and choosing racking to facilitate this. It also meant making the best of the roof space that was available, and generally putting a lot of time and effort into making sure every bit of the building was put to best use.”
