Co-op appoints head of new £20m Bristol RDC

The Co-operative Group has appointed Adrian Buxton as general manager at its new £20m food distribution depot in Avonmouth, which is due to open later this year.

Buxton, who previously managed the group’s 320,000ft² composite DC in Thurrock, Essex, will head up the new RDC, near Bristol, which will employ up to 900 staff.

He joined The Co-operative in an administrative role in 1979, before working his way up to managing food stores and moving across to logistics. Prior to managing the Thurrock site, Buxton managed distribution depots in Chelston, Somerset and Nottingham.

The new 435,750 ft² facility at Avonmouth will serve around 492 Co-operative food stores in the Bristol, north Somerset and South Wales areas, and will replace several smaller depots in the region.

Mark Leonard, head of logistics service at The Co-operative Food, says: “It was important we appointed someone capable of spearheading our new state-of-the-art facility, and managing its ramp up to full capacity, whilst at the same time maintaining delivery schedules to our stores.”