Unilever subsidiary Unilever Bestfoods UK (UBF) has contracted Power Europe to develop and manage a new automated national distribution centre (NDC) at Kingswood Lakeside in Cannock, Staffordshire. UBF, one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), says the multimillion, long-term arrangement is central to its ongoing distribution strategy.
The 37,200sq m fully-automated, high-bay warehouse is expected to be completed by about September 2005 and will be Unilever’s third automated facility in the UK. It will handle all of UBF’s ambient distribution needs, combining three existing operations into one. UBF’s brands include Knorr, Ragu, Pot Noodle, Coleman’s, Marmite, Brooke Bond and Lipton.
Power Europe, part of Exel, will design, project manage and operate the facility. UBF distribution projects manager, comments: “The technical solution combined with an excellent track record were major factors to select Power Europe for this important project.”
Charles Mory, Power Europe’s managing director, says: “We designed the NDC for speed and flexibility in order to meet the increasing customisation and response time requirements of UBF’s customers, providing a competitive advantage well into the future.”
