PHS Teacrate has opened a new distribution centre and crate washing facility in Durham to help provide a better service to the north of the UK.
The new centre brings together crate and material stocks from the company’s existing depot in Sunderland with a new £320,000 investment in crate washing facilities for crates used extensively in the food industry. The new facility will generate up to 20 new jobs in the region. Previously all the company’s washing operations were performed at the Birmingham depot.
The old deport in Sunderland was a shared site with restricted access. The new facility is self contained providing greater flexibility, easier access and the opportunity to extend into an additional 100,000 sqft of adjacent space further as the business grows.
The new equipment in Durham has the capacity to wash and dry up to 2,000 crates an hour to the standard demanded by the food industry. Ian Cairns, Regional Operations Manager for the company said that he already had enough business to operate a full eight-hour shift however, as the business develops it will be possible to operate round the clock.
Although PHS Teacrate operates in a number of market sectors, the removals sector is still its core business representing over 50% of its turnover. Crates for removals are not washed in the machine as, according to Gordon Philip, PHS Teacrate Managing Director, the nature of the contamination means they can be cleaned more easily and effectively by hand. However bringing all the resources into the new facility, close to the A1 and with a much greater vehicle flow through the depot, means that removal companies will benefit from a greatly enhanced service. “The new facility makes it easier for customers to access our services and opens up the north of England and southern Scotland,” he said.
Crate hire from Durham benefits from the company’s newly developed bar code tracking system that allows every crate leaving the premises to be logged and allocated to each commercial moving company. This helps companies keep track of exactly how many crates they have out at any time, makes billing easier and helps to prevent losses.
PHS Teacrate is also stocking its full range of packing materials for the moving industry in Durham. This will allow for the holding of larger stocks and for easier, faster distribution to the region.
The Durham centre was opened on 1 June 2015 by Councillor Jan Blakey, Chairman of the Durham County Council. Invited guests included Justin Tyderman, PHS Group Chief Executive.
Photo: Councillor Jan Blakey, Chairman of the Durham County Council, opens the Durham centre.