Yorkshire-based bathroom products supplier Cubico has announced it is investing £5 million in a new purpose-built HQ and distribution hub.
It plans to move from its current base in Birstall to the new 330,000sq ft facility at Calder Park, Wakefield, next year, which will pave the way for the creation of between 100 and 150 new jobs and coincide with the launch of hundreds of new bathroom and tile products.
The current capacity at the Birstall site is 7,000 pallets, with no dock leveller doors. The new Calder Park facility will have space for 58,000 pallets with 32 dock levellers, so that vehicles can be driven straight up ready to be loaded.
Cubico will also double its fleet of 22 vehicles to improve its delivery service to clients.
As part of its £5m investment, the new facility will get £2m worth of racking, £750,000 worth of Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) trucks, a state-of-the-art sprinkler system, forklift trucks and other specialist equipment. It will also invest in a new picking system to improve accuracy and speed of delivery.
Cubico founder Craig Waddington said: “This HQ move has been 12 months in the making. Our current Birstall HQ has served us well but, in truth, we outgrew it a long time ago. It’s incredible, and a testament to our warehouse team, that we’ve managed. Our stock has been spread across four smaller warehouses, which has been a logistical challenge.”
He added: “Our new site is 18m high at the eaves and we will have 32 dock leveller doors – meaning that our fleet of vehicles can drive straight up to the warehouse ready to be loaded quickly and efficiently. It will also significantly increase our stockholding, which is important with the current global shipping disruptions. Independent showrooms will absolutely benefit, as it will improve our customer service levels and allow us to double our own fleet of delivery vehicles – which is absolutely key to offering a reliable and consistent service.”
Cubico, which was founded by Waddington in 2012, said that as the new site is not far from its Birstall base and so all office staff can be retained.
Waddington added: “At a time when others are asking staff to permanently work from home, and are closing bricks-and-mortar centres, we are proud to be expanding our footprint and securing jobs for people, while increasing our range of bathroom and tile products.”
The new site is owned and is being developed by Tungsten Properties.