Culina Group to Set Base at Peel Group's Port Salford

 

Food and drink logistics giant, Culina Group, has been announced as the first major tenant at the new National Import Centre being developed by the Peel Group, as part of its multi-million pound Port Salford development (located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Manchester City Centre in the UK).
 
Culina Group will take occupation of the first warehouse distribution unit to be built on the Port Salford site - the UK’s first tri-modal inland port facility and Distribution Park, accessible by rail, road and short sea-shipping. The property comprises 26,022 sq. m. (280,000 sq. ft.) of accommodation, including ancillary offices, service yard and parking. 280 jobs will be created at the logistics centre, which is expected to be completed by April 2016 and fully operational by the end of 2016.
 
Under construction on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, Port Salford is an integral part of the Atlantic Gateway project being led by Peel Ports, which involves the redevelopment of the port and canal network and surrounding land between Manchester and Liverpool.
 
Located adjacent to the Manchester Ship Canal, the Port Salford National Import Centre will enable specialist goods handling and redistribution.  Its unique location will allow direct vessel access from the new Liverpool2 terminal at the Port of Liverpool, currently under construction by Peel Ports and due for completion in late 2015.
 
It is anticipated that the majority of container loads will arrive at the Port Salford terminal from Liverpool via the Manchester Ship Canal, dramatically improving direct supply chain routes across the North and North West of England into Scotland and resulting in significant carbon emission reductions and environmental savings.
 
On completion, Port Salford will comprise over 148,699 sq. m. (1,600,000 sq. ft.) of warehousing on the site which extends to 50 hectares (150 acres). Further plans are in progress for a second phase, which will bring the total site to 101 hectares (250 acres), with 370,000 sq. m. (4 million sq. ft.) of development opportunities, creating one of the most significant new warehouse and logistics sites in the UK.
 
Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports Group said: “We are delighted to welcome Culina Group as the anchor tenant at the National Import Centre.  Their presence as a market leading logistics organisation, handling the supply chain requirements of some of the world’s biggest, best and most recognisable food and drink companies, will act as a catalyst to attract more logistics providers to the area.
 
“Port Salford is a major new supply chain hub in the north-west of England, offering significant advantages to companies exporting to the UK, and arriving at the Port of Liverpool, to get their goods more quickly and directly to customers based in the commercial heartland of the UK.  65% of the population of UK and Ireland live within a 240 km radius of Liverpool. More than 50% of the UK’s population is closer to Liverpool than its competitor southern UK ports.
 
“Port Salford will offer transport and distribution choices to help commodity owners to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions, by providing an all-water route to this key distribution hub, in addition to road and rail connections.”
 
Thomas Van Mourik, CEO, Culina Group said: “This is fantastic news and a really important development as we seek to enhance our market leading position. Culina Port Salford will give us a real strategic foothold in the North West, enabling us to manage the growth of our existing clients and bring even more new domestic and international business on board.”
 
Port Salford is being developed by the Peel Ports’ sister company Peel Land and Property.