Bibby Distribution has announced the purchase of a 108,000ft² warehouse in Manchester which it says will strengthen its operations by allowing for a wider range of services and offer customers the flexibility to grow their stockholding capacity.

The new site, located on the Stakehill Industrial and Distribution Park, Middleton, will consolidate the operations of two smaller facilities currently leased by the company in Heywood. The new site offers a storage capacity for up to 11,500 pallets and also features a 6,500ft² mezzanine floor, providing scope for more flexible working solutions. 

"This is an opportune purchase for both us and our customers and provides a real platform for growth," said Paul Cullingford, Chief Financial Officer of Bibby Distribution. "With the additional space the site offers, and the greater stability that comes with owned premises, we can help customers streamline their activities and allow them to scale operations up or down with a more adaptable multi-user site.

"In addition, the new facility gives us the scope to offer a wider range of added value services to our customers which were not possible from existing premises, including product re-packing, re-labelling and decanting. It also holds accreditation to the stringent standards set by the American Institute of Bakers, an organisation which endeavours to protect the safety of food supply chains worldwide," he added.

All customer operations currently based at the Heywood sites - covering a diverse range of sectors from automotive to packaging - will move across with Bibby, as will all 50 employees.   

"This is a significant investment for us and we have worked closely with our customers to ensure that the new set-up allows us to enhance our service offering to them. In fact, we are currently in the process of making internal modifications to the site to suit individual customer requirements and we aim to have the site fully operational by mid-September," added Cullingford.