Southport, UK: Family-owned Nationwide Produce has expanded one of its warehouses in Evesham by 75% after securing a £3.5m loan from Lloyds Bank.
The funds were used to increase the space of its warehouse in Evesham from 32,000 sq ft to 56,000 sq ft. The expansion also saw the business’s pallet capacity rise from 900 to 2100, enabling more stock to be stored.
Nationwide Produce used the funding to build five temperature-controlled chambers which offer an 84% reduction in global warming potential:
- The new technology will improve cooling performance and increase energy efficiency in the business by up to 15%, says the company. It will also allow the company to store produce at the optimal temperature meaning the quality remains the best for much longer
- Solar panels were also installed at the warehouse, growing its total renewable electricity offering by almost two thirds and bringing capacity up to 500kW across the company’s sites
- The business is now planning to expand its product range to include frozen foods, as well as buying new packing machinery.
Tim O’Malley, group managing director at Nationwide Produce, said: “As a global importer, and UK and EU exporter, we are seeing a rise in demand for fresh produce from customers across all sectors of the market. Last year, our turnover was above pre-pandemic levels at £143m and we’re already set to see a record-breaking turnover of £185m this year as we meet demand for increased volume.
“The new warehouse space will be vital in helping maximise this opportunity for growth by helping us work more efficiently, improve and expand our product line, and ultimately, provide our customers with an even better service.
“We’re also committed to driving decarbonisation within the company and are proud to say 100% of the power needed to run our UK depots and offices is being produced from renewable energy sources, including our recently installed solar panels.”
