FDC Holdings HQ Preston_gable end[53487]

Preston-based logistics specialist FDC Holdings has acquired its headquarters from Harworth Group for £12.3m and boosted its fleet with the addition of two new Scania tractor units and ten new trailers.

The company is also planning to invest a further £2m on capital equipment and a range of building improvements at the site

The 330,000 square foot unit, on Four Oaks Road in Walton Summit, Preston, sits on a 14-acre plot and includes 20,000 square feet of office space.

A total of 220 staff work at the site, which also forms the northern hub for TPN The Pallet Network. Its high bay warehouse provides 25,000 pallet positions and a transhipping area for TPN.

FDC Holdings, which is a £25m turnover business, provides palletised distribution, haulage, storage, and fulfilment services across a range of sectors, including the food and drinks industry, NHS, construction and on-line retailing. Its HQ is located within a mile of the M6, M61 and M65 motorways.

This latest acquisition brings FDC’s total space to nearly a million square feet across three sites in Preston and Blackpool.

FDC Holdings chairman Peter Allen, said: “This is an important step for our business. Owning the building gives us the control we need to invest in more client-facing infrastructure and resources. We make a commitment to our clients about service levels and having control of more of the moving parts that allow us to keep that promise is vitally important.”

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Andrea Morley, Harworth Group director of asset management, added: "We are delighted to have completed this sale to FDC Holdings, the culmination of a successful working relationship between FDC and Harworth over many years.

"FDC’s planned investments in this well-located facility demonstrate its growth ambitions, commitment to customer service, and support for the local economy in the north west.”

FDC Holdings also recently marked the conclusion of its 25th anniversary celebrations by boosting its fleet with two new Scania tractor units and ten new trailers.

The £600,000 investment brings the £25m-turnover firm’s fleet to 70 vehicles and 100 trailers, which are emblazoned with the firm’s anniversary logo.

Allen said: "It’s taken a huge amount of work and commitment to grow the business to our scale and my team can be rightly proud of their efforts.

“We’re not resting on our laurels, as this latest investment shows. The new units will help us service our continued growth in the beverage, pharmaceutical and retail sectors and my thanks go to our clients for their trust in us.”

The new tractor units, purchased from Scania Preston, represent a capital investment of £282,000 whilst the ten trailers, bought from Montracon in Doncaster, cost £310,000. They will be based at the firm’s headquarters in Walton Summit.

Five new roles have been created as a result of the investment across transport planning, customer services and driving. The company has confirmed that it also has a further four tractor units on order.

“We have enjoyed numerous celebrations and activities throughout the year to mark what is a special anniversary, but we never lose sight of our core purpose of providing exceptional service to our clients,” Allen added.

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