Culina-owned contract packing services provider IPS has established a joint venture with Eddie Stobart Logistics to run a dedicated packing facility at Stobart’s Bardon, Leicestershire site, where it stores and distributes products for Nestlé.
The new contract packing operation will carry out various services for the food manufacturer, including flow wrapping, shrink wrapping, cartoning and the creation of display units, predominantly for the UK market.
A spokesman for Culina told Motortransport.co.uk that the new contract packing line, which IPS developed jointly with Stobart, would start work “very shortly”, employing around 45 staff during low season and 80-plus during peaks.
Establishing the contract packing operation at Stobart’s Bardon site would cut out the vehicle mileage otherwise involved in moving product to an off-site packing operation, he added.
IPS, which Culina acquired in 2014, already provides contract packing operations for Nestlé at two other sites in York and Featherstone, both ultimately owned by Culina.
The packer will also be setting up a 30,000ft² contract packing space at Culina’s new multimodal ambient site at Port Salford, planning permission for which was granted in March, where food giant General Mills will be the lead customer.
