TNT opens multi-million pound flagship depot in Birmingham UK
Express delivery giant TNT is opening the doors – all 68 of them – on a new £8.2 million purpose built facility in Birmingham later this month – the biggest in the company’s nationwide network of more than 50 depots.
Handling tens of thousands of parcels and packages each week, the state-of-the-art depot at Network Park, Saltley, provides a vital strategic link for the delivery and collection of business-to-business consignments for industry and commerce in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
England goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton – the country’s most capped footballer with 125 international appearances – will provide a safe pair of hands when he performs the official opening of the flagship depot on Wednesday 29th September.
Employing 300 people, the depot represents the largest ever investment in a single site by TNT Express Services in the UK. The new 68-door loading bay means more than five-dozen vehicles can be either delivering or collecting packages at the same time. This contrasts with the 12-door capacity of the company’s former premises in the Digbeth area of the city.
Depot General Manager, Grant Cochrane said: “We are extremely proud of the new depot which has given us the additional space and capacity to enable us to drive the business forward. We now have a 99,000 square foot site that boasts the very latest in leading edge technology.
“This includes hi-tech hub-style sortation systems and the use of sophisticated electronic tracking software. This ensures speed and reliability of service and gives customers the added assurance that they know where their goods are 24/7.”
The Birmingham complex also includes dedicated offices for TNT Sameday, while 16 doors and a 5,000 square foot section of the main warehouse are allocated exclusively to two specialist TNT services – Printline and Strategic Storage and Distribution.
The Strategic Storage and Distribution Centre holds spare parts for a wide range of TNT customers including leading electrical, engineering, computer and telecommunications companies. The facility enables TNT to deliver parts from the stock at Saltley to field engineers and technicians in the fastest and most reliable fashion via its TNT Sameday service.
With such a sizeable investment it’s little wonder that an advanced £200,000 package of security measures safeguards the new facility and all of the consignments entrusted to TNT.
The previous TNT site at Albert Street in Digbeth is being demolished as part of the regeneration of Birmingham city centre. Grant added: “We were always going to have move out of Digbeth to meet the growing volumes of business being handled through Birmingham. The fact that the old depot was earmarked to make way for the new look city centre development simply added momentum to the relocation.”
Nigel Barton, Director of Operations for TNT Express Services, said: “Birmingham is typical of the first class facilities we can offer our customers as we strive to meet and exceed their expectations. We can collect parcels and packages from customers late in the working day and get them delivered earlier than ever before in the UK & Europe.”
