Yearsley Logistics creates frozen food 'Super Hub' in UK with £20m expansion

Yearsley Logistics is the United Kingdom’s largest distributor of frozen foods. The company, which wholesales more than 1500 individual frozen product lines, has 13 depots across the UK, employs over 1200 staff and has an annual turnover of £156m.

In 2012, Yearsley Logistics embarked on a three-part, £20m expansion of its cold store facilities in Heywood, UK. On completion of all three phases, the new cold store will provide a further 40,000 pallet capacity, on top of the original 40,000 capacity - doubling Heywood’s capacity and enabling the company to create its northern ‘Super Hub’, where stock will be consolidated for more efficient delivery into the UK’s major retailers and food service organisations.

Harry Yearsley, managing director of Yearsley Group, said, “This expansion is in direct response to demand from new customers for whom the North West is an ideal location. Our existing Heywood store was running near to capacity. This expansion is part of our long-term plan to consolidate stock in strategically located stores, helping us to increase efficiency, reduce carbon output and better meet the storage needs of manufacturing customers and the delivery requirements of retail and food service customers across the country.”

The new building is super insulated to help reduce energy use, making it one of the most energy-efficient cold stores in the country, according to the company. It will also include rainwater harvesting to feed the cooling systems, which will save on fresh water usage. Photovoltaic solar panels and LED lighting have been fitted as Yearsley Logistics continues its focus on reducing electricity use by 8% by 2015.

Phase two of the project commenced in July 2014 and will provide an additional 4645 m² of space and 12,000 extra pallet sites, bringing the total to 60,000 pallets at Heywood.

The cold store uses a combination of PowerStor technology from Power Automation Systems (PAS) integrated with conventional mobile racking for the most economical and energy-efficient storage process to meet the throughput and storage needs of Yearsley Logistics’ frozen food customers.

“The PAS system helps to speed up the customer ordering process and improves productivity, as well as having environmental benefits in relation to fewer door openings and less lighting,” said Harry Yearsley.

Logistics director Tim Moran said, “Our commitment to offering a day one for day two service is paying dividends with increased demand for our cutting-edge services and hence increased demand for space in the cold stores. Retailers are reorganising their supply chains and we are successfully providing the responsiveness needed to service these requirements. Our continued expansion is the catalyst of this success.”

The third and final phase at the Heywood Superhub will be fitted out as and when required, according to future customer demand, said Yearsley