MAJOR growth over the past few years by a Leighton Buzzard-based logistics company has been highlighted as part of a national campaign promoting the warehousing industry.
Clare Bottle, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association, is pictured on her visit to Miniclipper Logistics as part of her nationwide tour of 80 warehouses.
The company has redeveloped its site at Billington Road and acquired a 95,000 sq ft site at Burton on Trent in Staffordshire as part of its expansion programme. It has also relocated its 24-hour Distribution Centre to an industrial estate in Dunstable, creating a dedicated facility with capacity for up to 10,000 pallets.
Ms Bottle was joined at Miniclipper Logistics by Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire, who toured the company’s facilities and heard more about innovation at the award-winning facility. The visit was hosted by Miniclipper Logistics managing director Peter Masters.
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Main picture: Clare Bottle with Miniclipper Logistics managing director Peter Masters (left) and Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire.
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“Miniclipper Logistics provides a superb example of warehousing at its best, embracing technology, investing significantly in renewable energy such as rooftop solar power, and placing people at the heart of everything they do,” said Ms Bottle.
The company now employs more than 210 staff, an increase of almost one third since 2019.
Mr Masters said: “We were delighted to welcome Clare Bottle and Andrew Selous MP to see the results of the significant investment that we have put into the Billington Road site in Leighton Buzzard, and present a business update to showcase our growth, sustainability progress and employee initiatives.
“We were thrilled to update Andrew on the growth of our business and how this has positively impacted the Central Bedfordshire area.”
2024 The Year of Warehousing aims to turn the spotlight on the million-plus people – more than 8% of the UK workforce – who work in warehousing, to dispel outdated perceptions and to celebrate the role of the sector. It contributes £163 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy.
“Warehousing remains one of the fastest growing yet least understood sectors in the UK,” said Ms Bottle. “This is partly because people rarely see what happens inside these often-vast buildings, where millions of products are processed every day. Accordingly, the essential work warehouses provide has always been ‘behind the scenes’ and therefore to a large extent under-appreciated, yet the warehousing and logistics sector is a major employer and force for social mobility.
Mr Selous said: “It was a great pleasure to visit Miniclipper again and I am extremely proud of their tremendous growth story across Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis. Warehousing and logistics is an extremely important sector locally and Miniclipper is a brilliant family-owned business which we are fortunate to have in our area.”
