Part of Company’s Expansion Plan
An Aycliffe distribution firm is investing £700,000 in a new multi-use building on its huge site as part of the group’s long-term growth plans to create employment. Stiller Warehousing and Distribution has plans to develop a two-and-a-half acre piece of land which adjoins its main premises on Ridgeway, Aycliffe Business Park.
The first phase of the development includes a 20,000 sq ft multi-use building, with the steel frame already in place, with plans to develop the rest of the land.
Contractors will now begin building and fitting out the facility, which will be fully insulated. Stiller, which employs 115 people, say the property would be ideally suited for a small to medium-sized manufacturing or distribution company.
Managing Director Paul Stiller said: “At this stage, as we’re about to construct it, the facility could be built bespoke for end-users.The building is right in the heart of Aycliffe Business Parkand could be divided into two 10,000 square feet units”.
There is also planning permission for other buildings on the site which are ear-marked for further phases of the development.
Stiller, which reported an increase in turnover to £10.5m at the end of 2013, is working with an increasing number of companies on Aycliffe Business Park.
The group offers a “just in time” service to Gestamp Tallent and 3M – storing materials and feeding them into their factories and has recently started working with growing engineering firm Palram.
The rapid success of national network Palletline – a national group of 70 companies across Britain of which Stiller is a member and major shareholder – is increasing business, resulting in two new members of staff being recruited.
Stiller’s premises includes a 15,000-pallet store of 160,000 square feet, storing for 15 customers from varying industries.
“Palletline is a very successful national network which is experiencing growth. The system itself, of which we’re an integral part, is growing at more than 20 per cent a year.
“The numbers of pallets being transported around the country are going up all the time” said Paul Stiller.
Because the number of pallets is going up by 20% a year, Stillers have to meet that demand. As they gear up to that – to trunk them up from the Palletline hub in the Midlands and back to the North-East – they’ve got to generate more business in this area in order to keep the vehicles efficient.
Otherwise the vehciles will be going down empty to the hubs to bring back lots of pallets, which isn’t cost-effective.
“We’re already very active in the sales market place but we’re investing in our sales team accordingly, with two new members of staff coming in, to build on the success of Palletline.
“It’s the market-leader in the transport of pallets and we recently invested more than £1m in a fleet of new vehicles, including four which were part of the Government’s trial of longer semi-trailers (LSTs), which nationally are expected to save over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 over 10 years.” said Paul.
