XPO, a provider of end-to-end logistics solutions in Europe, has opened a new warehouse site in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, with its partner Saint-Gobain UK.
The Wakefield Northern Distribution Centre is a dedicated operation for Saint-Gobain UK (SGUK) and designed to operate as a multi-functional site.
The warehouse can store 2.5m square metres of plasterboard and has 1,500 racking locations for palletised goods. The forklift trucks on site are all electric, further reducing CO2e emissions.
Other warehouse innovations in the pipeline include use of ATVs, robot sweepers, a proprietary warehouse management system, and stock–taking drones.
The latter development significantly impacts health and safety, thanks to the reduced need for colleagues to work at height.
The centre supports multiple manufacturing operations in the North and the Midlands, providing new distribution capability for Saint-Gobain UK brands.
Anika Sharma, Customer Service & Supply Chain Director, Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions UK, said: "This new site is strategically vital for us.
"The centre strengthens our existing logistics offering and allows us to expand and explore exciting new opportunities to benefit our customers.”
The site has been leased long-term and provides a strategic stock-holding location for Saint-Gobain’s manufacturing facilities, including where XPO Logistics will offer several value-added services such as accelerating consolidated product delivery across multiple Saint-Gobain brands.
This will result in multiple Saint-Gobain brand products being delivered to the customer on one vehicle, as opposed to orders being received on multiple delivery vehicles, which was the case in the past.
Dan Myers, managing director—UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: "It's great to see what our teams collectively have achieved with this new distribution centre.
"Working together, this facility is a significant step for Saint Gobain's supply chain, helping to support our partner’s sustainability agenda whilst enhancing its customer service."
The eventual aim is for the site to become a fulfilment centre stocking products from across the Saint-Gobain UK brand family that can be dispatched directly to the consumer.