Market Drayton, UK: John Kerrigan, Culina’s Irish business leader, and also chief executive of Fowler Welch, is upbeat about prospects for the businesses following a contract with a retailer set to boost Irish sea trade.
The contract, due to start this month, involves 80 to 100 loads per week from England to Northern Ireland with further new full-load and groupage volume through the Irish operation in the coming months.
Fowler Welch has opened a new cross-dock facility in Appleton, Warrington that will act as the consolidation and cross-dock hub for Morgan McLernon, in addition to the volume that they will continue to cross-dock themselves in Northern Ireland.
New vehicles are being added to the Morgan McLernon fleet and have started to be delivered throughout February into Northern Ireland.
“It has been a difficult few years in the Northern Irish logistics market post Brexit, not to mention the many challenges that the whole of the UK has faced since, and continues to face”, Kerrigan said.
“The Culina Group vision continues to be to operate a successful and sustainable business in Ireland that is there for the long term. With Morgan McLernon now a solid part of our extended Culina Group family I see Fowler Welch very much as the GB partner for their Northern Irish operation. We are working in active partnership to create efficient transport flows in and out of Ireland, with Morgan McLernon managing all collection and deliveries in Ireland, and Fowler Welch managing the activity in England and Scotland.”
“We will take the time to let these positive developments and this new way of working settle operationally. We will then be considering the long-term location, and investment in facilities and welfare for our colleagues in Northern Ireland.”
