Great Bear Distribution, based in Chester, has announced a new contract with soft drinks producer Cott Beverages for warehousing services in the Midlands.

The new contract, which extends a longstanding relationship between the two, will see existing operations for Cott Beverages transferred from a Great Bear facility in Derbyshire to one close to Junction 26 of the M1, near Nottingham. The new site will serve as the main warehouse for Cott Beverages’ Kegworth production facility and will be supported by a dedicated Great Bear transport operation that undertakes factory shunting and nationwide distribution.

Great Bear has not said whether the Derbyshire site will remain open or confirmed how many staff there will be transferred to the new operation. A spokesman for the company declined to comment until the new operation was “properly up and running”, suggesting this should be in four to six weeks’ time.

Last month, Great Bear revealed a 12% rise in turnover during 2013 while in April, it announced it was adding a new 400,000ft² warehouse in Sheffield to its 30-strong network of sites.

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