Miniclipper is looking to significantly expand its warehousing capacity after new business wins and a surge in Palletline work saw it achieve a record turnover of £10m in its latest financial year.

MD Peter Masters said the company’s audited accounts for the year to 31 May 2014 would reveal turnover just north of £10m (2013: £9.4m) after a good year for the Leighton Buzzard-based business.

He added that it would also reveal “profit back up where it should be”, after heavy investment in 2013 saw last year’s fall to £170,204, compared with £523,470 in 2012.

One significant part of that investment was Hibay, an 87,000ft² warehouse a mile from Miniclipper’s main Bedfordshire base, whichwas taken on a 15-year lease and boosted the firm’s overall warehousing capacity to 200,000ft².

Masters said the gamble had paid off, with Hibay approaching 90% utilisation and Miniclipper now looking at several other locations in the local area, with a facility of a similar size in mind. “In some respects, warehousing was secondary to the transport side of the business a few years ago. But that situation has now been reversed,” he said.

Miniclipper, which has a core fleet of 32 vehicles, is taking three 18-tonne MANs next month via DawsonRentals on a replacement basis. It is also in the process of purchasing three SDC-made trailers, including a double deck.

Trials are being conducted of a Lawrence David urban trailer, which will be used on Palletline work if purchased.

Masters said work within the pallet network, which it switched to in 2012, had continued to surge with both inbound and outbound volumes up at least 30%. Miniclipper is now handling 600 pallets a night in and out of the hub.

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