Expect Distribution is set to open its fourth warehouse next month and is on the hunt for a fifth after forecasting “unprecedented growth” this year.
The Bradford-based family firm has opened a 193,000sq ft warehouse on a 10 acre site, less than one mile from the firm’s head office, as part of a strategy to drive growth in its contract logistics and warehousing divisions.
The new facility, which is located close to the M606 and M62, brings additional storage capacity of 60,000 pallets and will create an additional 40 jobs, bringing the staff headcount to over 300 this year.
Speaking to motortransport.co.uk, MD Neil Rushworth said three quarters of the new site is already allocated, largely thanks to a spate of new contract wins at the end of 2018, with the new site expected to reach full capacity within the first six months.
“So we are already looking for our fifth warehouse which we plan to open in 2020,” he added.
Half of the available space will be occupied by two new contracts, which the firm landed at the end of 2018.
The first is a 10 year deal with Bradford-based Borg Warner, a motor industry parts manufacturer. The second contract is a two year deal with kitchen facia manufacturer Gower Furniture to store 6,000 pallets in the new warehouse.
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The company, which is a Palletline member, has also recently signed a three year distribution contract worth more than £1m a year with Leeds-based CDUK, the sole UK distributor of Corian worktops.
Rushworth said: “Our biggest area of growth is in long term contracts, both in transport and warehousing and we are delighted to open the site with new agreements with two very large players in their own respective industries.”
Rushworth attributed the firm’s success in winning business to its personal approach.
He said: “We are still a family-owned SME, which is a key strength and selling point. The businesses we tend to attract are similar SMEs that are aligned to us in size and thinking.
“We have no sales staff. It is me who sells the business and having the MD of the company sitting before prospective customers makes a big difference.”
Rushworth said the new warehouse will allow the firm to deliver “unprecedented growth” this year, adding that “turnover in the warehousing division (is) expected to rise from £3m to at least £5m in 2019 with total growth of the overall business projected at 20% after a turnover of £28.5m in 2018”.
