Roberts bakery investing to improve service levels

Family-owned baker Frank Roberts is investigating a multi-million pound expansion at its manufacturing facility in Northwich, Cheshire to improve the service levels it offers to customers through improved picking and despatch of products.

A feasibility study has been carried out by project management specialist Lorien Engineering Solutions which looked at improving picking and despatch capacity. If it gets board approval the project, which will be staged, is expected to begin construction at the end of this year.

“In the short term it’s about being able to manage the service levels which they expect now, which is not sustainable in the long term,” said Lorien project manager Phil Colquhoun. “They have sufficient manufacturing capacity, but they haven’t got sufficient despatch capacity. So it gives them the opportunity of being able to increase their picking and despatch operations for multiples and to other shops.”

Roberts has been around since 1887 and supplies branded and other own-label products. It employs 800 people on a seven day rotating shift pattern.