Environment Minister Owen Paterson officially opened Grocontinental’s £5m frozen goods warehouse at its Whitchurch, Shropshire HQ last week.
The 4,000m² warehouse boosts the company’s storage capacity by 13,000 pallets taking total storage capacity to 143,000 pallets.
“As the biggest employer in a predominantly rural area, the company makes a major contribution to the local economy,” said Paterson, who is also MP for North Shropshire (pictured centre).
“In the last 15 years, the company has implemented a substantial development plan which is to be congratulated,” he said.
Grocontinental joint MD David Grocott (pictured left) added that the storage facility was part of a £12m investment plan for 2013, which also included renewing its entire vehicle fleet.
The operator recently revealed a 29% boost in profits.