Work starts on 80,000 sq ft Heywood warehouse
Manchester-based contractor Russell WBHO has started building a 22,000-pallet cold storage unit for food refrigeration firm Lineage Logistics. as part of an expansion of its Greater Manchester site.
The 80,000 sq ft unit is located at Lineage’s Northern Superhub logistics site in Heywood. The project is the culmination of a multiphase expansion of capacity at the site, for which Russell has served as main contractor.
On completion of the project, the team will have built 260,000 sq ft of logistics space at the site in total, intended to house at least 57,000 pallets. AEW Architects designed the scheme.
Russell has worked with Lineage for more than 15 years and delivered more than 1m sq ft of cold storage space across the company’s national network of 14 sites.
Andrew Russell, joint managing director of Russell WBHO, said: “We are supporting the expansion of the UK’s largest cold storage and distribution operator, and will continue to deliver the high-quality facilities its customers expect.”
Lineage is working on a broader programme of expansion across the UK, responding to demand for cold storage facilities from manufacturers, retailers and food service providers. It currently has six automated warehouses across the UK with a total of 525,000 pallet positions, of which 330,000 are automated.
Jonathan Baker, executive director, from Lineage Logistic, said: “The value of the cold chain has never been so apparent as it is today, with pressure on food manufacturers and retailers resulting in increased demand for temperature-controlled storage and distribution facilities.
“The expansion of our storage capacity was already in progress due to existing demand, though the current situation has highlighted the need for an extensive and enlarged cold chain provision throughout the world.”
He added: “Having Russell on board significantly reduces the time it takes to deliver that additional capacity – it will help us bring these facilities online over the next two years, providing our customers with some of the most up-to-date systems and resources available.”
