Johnson Matthey signs five-year contract with Potter Group Logistics
Global speciality chemicals company Johnson Matthey has signed a five-year agreement with Potter Group Logistics to occupy 50,000ft2 of storage and distribution space at the Group's Ripon distribution centre. The Group''s long experience in handling highly specialised products and in dealing with chemicals was a vital factor in the decision. The Group is investing around £2 million in the project and infrastructure including new Flexi trucks, and the facility will have its own dedicated entrance and access separate from other buildings on site.
The facility was completed in August 2011, with Johnson Matthey taking possession at the start of 2012. It will be used to store some 7,500 Tes of drums, Octoboxes and KATPACS™ of catalysts, with small batch stock stored on racking and fast movers block stacked. Potter Group Logistics will ship materials from the Johnson Matthey catalyst manufacturing plant at Clitheroe into Ripon with its fleet of MAN units that use environmentally friendly low emission EGR engine technology.
A dedicated 5,000ft2 zone will house a repacking rig to handle repacking from drums into other containers, with the process managed by Johnson Matthey's SAP system for pick, pack, product re-labelling, re-banding and configuration. The building has additional space to enable the company to handle spikes in demand and Potter Group Logistics has already obtained planning permission for a 40,000ft2 extension if required.
Reflecting both Johnson Matthey's and Potter Group Logistics' commitment to minimising their carbon footprint, the facility incorporates a number of the latest energy efficient technologies. The warehouse lighting supplied by Inspired Lighting operates at a very low level, turning quickly to full power when any movement is detected. Using power only when required and with an operational life of up to 30,000 hours, the system will make significant energy savings compared with more traditional methods.
The roof design makes maximum use of natural lighting to further reduce the energy demands of internal lighting and can be retrofitted with solar panels when they can be economically justified. The latest high standards of building insulation materials ensure that internal heating levels are kept to a minimum. Excavated soil from the construction will be used to create a new on-site tree planting zone.
Potter Group Logistics currently stores around 2,500 pallets of raw material for the Johnson Matthey manufacturing plant in its top tier COMAH centre in Knowsley, Merseyside, and together with the decision to store at the Ripon distribution centre, Johnson Matthey has demonstrated its commitment and faith in Potter Group Logistics as a partner for its long-term growth.
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