Issue Date: 29 February 2012
Ref: CUL12/02
CULINA FRESH OPENS NEW FACILITIES IN SPALDING AND HEATHROW
Dedicated fresh produce and horticultural service offers wider choice for customers
Culina Fresh, the door-to-door freight management and multi-modal supply chain service for fresh and horticultural producers, has opened its first two dedicated UK facilities at Spalding and Heathrow. The company has also taken 50 per cent of the space on a dedicated rail-freight service carrying seasonal produce between Spain and the UK. The developments meet increased customer demand and follow the successful launch of the new Culina Group business in November 2011.
The Spalding, Lincolnshire facility offers a temperature controlled consolidation service dedicated to fresh produce and horticultural products. The location was chosen because Spalding is one of the UK’s main growing and productions areas for fresh and horticultural. Shipments are delivered to retailers and wholesalers throughout the UK and Ireland using the company’s own temperature controlled fleet which is further enhanced utilising resources from the existing Culina Group network. To ensure a successful operation from day one, experienced drivers who have all previously worked in temperature controlled operations were recruited and are using the latest technology vehicles. Likewise supply chain management specialists with in-depth fresh produce and horticultural experience were recruited. As the first Culina Group depot in this part of the country it offers local customers access to the group’s complete range of warehousing, distribution and value-added services.
The new Heathrow site co-ordinates both worldwide door-to-door temperature controlled sea and air transportation and European road transportation for customers who need to move fresh produce, horticulture and other short shelf-life items. Now fully operational, this facility provides an interface for other Culina Group companies to enhance the services currently offered.
Another component of the multimodal business that is now fully operational is a rail freight service running between Valencia in Spain and Dagenham in the UK to import seasonal fresh produce items such as lettuce and citrus fruit. Culina Fresh utilises half of the space available on the train to complement the overall sustainability of the operation with the various partners.
Culina Fresh Limited is a door-to-door freight management service offering high quality multi-modal supply chain capability incorporating road, rail, sea and air transportation for fresh produce, horticulture and other temperature sensitive goods. It was established to meet demand from producers, importers and retailers for an integrated solution to manage the complete supply chain from source - whatever the country - to final delivery throughout the UK and Europe.
The shared user model employed by Culina Fresh, as with all Culina Group companies, offers customers a highly efficient and scalable solution to their warehouse and distribution needs with a range of value-added services from its own operations and the resources available within the wider group. The unique end-to-end operation has been designed to combine complete supply chain visibility and product traceability with value added services. Land based synergies enable the company to offer a highly flexible, adaptable and scaleable service that meets the specific requirements of individual customers.