Doors open on 100 new jobs and GBP 7m TNT investment in the UK

Britain’s top business-to-business express delivery company has invested GBP 7 million and created more than 100 new jobs in the Leyland and Preston area as part of its drive to consolidate its market-leading position.

South Ribble MP David Borrow will be on hand to officially open TNT Express Services’ new state-of-the-art depot in Leyland – which has already delivered the jobs bonanza to the region – this Friday (11th May at approximately 1.15pm).

The impressive 10-acre site at Aston Way, Moss Side Park, is the latest addition to TNT’s impressive nationwide network of more than 60 depots. Handling tens of thousands of business parcels and packages every week, the depot provides a critical strategic link for businesses throughout the North-West and up into Scotland.

Employing a total of 145 staff, the depot is the largest TNT depot in the UK and with 67-loading bays.

Preston Depot General Manager Shane O’Donnell said: “TNT’s nearby Ramsbottom depot has been exceeding its capacity for some time and it was essential that a new site was found to cater for a substantial increase in our business in the North West.

“We needed to find a site that was close to the M6 and that we could also use as our Scottish driver changeover point – and we have all of this at Preston. It is a first class facility and the quality of the new team we’ve put together in Preston is second to none. It’s a new and very exciting development with Preston a vital new component in the TNT network.

The depot, which became fully operational last autumn, is at the leading edge of innovation for TNT. New high-tech scanning devises for warehouse staff, ‘in-cab’ mobile worker units for drivers and the latest sortation machine technology were all trialled at Preston before being rolled out to other TNT depots around the UK.

David Borrow MP said: “I am delighted that TNT has decided to locate to South Ribble. It’s testament yet again to the region’s excellent workforce as well as our easy links to the motorway network. TNT is obviously going from strength to strength and it’s encouraging to see the depot in South Ribble is helping to lead the way.”

Shane added: “We will double up as a depot and regional sortation centre. This gives us the advantage of collecting parcels and packages from customers later in the working day and get them delivered earlier than ever before in the UK and Europe. It’s a winning combination and we’re all ready for the challenge.”