Culina to create 280 jobs at ambient food depot

Culina is to create 280 jobs at a new 26,000m2 ambient food and drink logistics facility at the National Import Centre at Port Salford.

Planning permission had now been granted for the development, the company confirmed.

The depot would have a capacity of 45,000 pallets, it said. The multimodal facility, accessible by road, rail and short-sea shipping, is scheduled to go live by April 2016 and be fully operational by the end of that year.

The site is next to the Manchester Ship Canal and the arterial motorway routes of the M60 and M62.

‘Important development’

“This is fantastic news and a really important development as we seek to enhance our market leading position,” said Culina ceo Thomas Van Mourik.

“Culina Port Salford will give us a real strategic foothold in the north west, enabling us to manage the growth of our existing clients, bring even more new business on board and create a substantial number of jobs in the region.”

The announcement by Culina today (March 23) follows the confirmation of detailed planning permission for the warehouse unit, granted by Salford City Council at a meeting on March 19.

Start in next few weeks

The site would be developed in conjunction with Peel Ports and construction was scheduled to start within the next few weeks, Culina said.

The main civil engineering contractor is international construction firm John Sisk and Son. Recent projects handled by that business have included the recently completed 3,000m2 bread plant for Cheshire-based baker Frank Roberts & Sons.

Chilled and ambient logistics specialist Culina operates a network of 17 depots across the UK and Ireland, offering storage, distribution, contract packing and other services for branded and own-label manufacturers.

Established in 1994, the group now boasts a turnover of £250M, employs more than 3,000 people and runs 350 vehicles and 650 trailers.