Peel Ports Group, which owns the massive site, announced in March that Culina was the first tenant to lease ambient warehouse space there. Now Culina has confirmed that the food giant has stepped forward as the first customer to use the depot, which goes live in April 2016, creating 280 jobs.
General Mills, which is responsible for food brands such as Old El Paso, Green Giant, Betty Crocker and Nature Valley, claimed the distribution agreement would save it 600,000 road miles annually.
The site will be accessible by road, short sea shipping and rail and will act as a central hub for General Mills’ ambient brands arriving by short sea freight from Europe.
Future opportunities
Located adjacent to the Manchester Ship Canal and next to the arterial motorway routes of the M60 and M62, Port Salford would improve General Mills’s supply chain, explained General Mills UK & Ireland supply chain director Dave Howorth. It would also give the company future opportunities to move freight by rail, he added.
“We are very excited about this new distribution agreement as it reinforces our commitment as a company to finding solutions that are best for customers, consumers and the environment, and our move to Port Salford ticks all those boxes,” said Howorth.
He said the move would enable General Mills to respond more efficiently to customer demands 364 days a year.
The facility would be equipped with flexible co-packing capabilities capable of responding to a full range of requirements, he added.
‘Fully committed’
Thomas Van Mourik, ceo of Culina Group, said: “Port Salford is a fantastic strategic development for Culina Group and the strength of the proposition is underscored by the fact that such an important customer is fully committed to the project, even at this very early stage.”
Mark Whitworth, ceo of Peel Ports Group, added: “This excellent news is a clear endorsement of the benefits to the UK supply chain that we envisaged when developing Port Salford and such investments are helping the north west to transform the UK logistics infrastructure.
“As well as excellent road and rail links, the area will soon be able to offer the unique route of the Manchester Ship Canal, connected directly to our new Liverpool2 container terminal, enabling companies to get closer to their markets.”