Manfreight to open new £9m logistics hub in Belfast Harbour
Belfast Harbour has announced that leading local logistics firm, with substantial Craigavon site, Manfreight will be opening a new £9m logistics hub on West Bank Road. The facility will be the first purpose-built chilled distribution centre in Northern Ireland in 25 years.
A significant portion of the chilled storage and distribution sector in the UK is represented by Northern Ireland-based companies, yet a lot of the current infrastructure has been repurposed. A year for milestones – 2023 also marks 50 years since Manfreight began and 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement – in that time Northern Ireland has made significant progress. Mirroring this progress, the 50,000ft² logistics centre is set to be a masterpiece of intelligent storage and distribution.
As part of its ongoing Port infrastructure investment programme, Belfast Harbour is funding the development of the new 50,000 ft² temperature-controlled logistics facility. Manfreight will invest a further £4m to fit-out the development with state-of-the art intelligent refrigeration and warehouse management systems. Occupying a prime logistics location beside the Port’s RoRo ferry terminals and the Victoria Terminal 3 container terminal, the centre will service Northern Ireland’s agri-food producers for both import and export trading.
As the first facility of its kind in Northern Ireland to be constructed to BREEAM Excellent environmental standards, it will provide flexible high efficiency chilled and ambient warehouse space for the FMCG market as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Local construction firm, Felix O’Hare & Co has recently broken ground on construction, with completion scheduled for early 2024.
Chris Slowey from Manfreight, said: “The development of this new industry leading chilled warehouse is an important strategic step for Manfreight as we aim to meet our customers’ growing needs for more sustainable and digitised warehousing solutions. This new centre in Belfast Harbour will bring new employment opportunities to the local area, in turn supporting and developing our local economy.
“We are very proud of our long-standing relationship with the Belfast Harbour, and we are pleased they share our vision in developing and building sustainable, digitised, and future proof warehouses for our business and more importantly our valued customers. This port-centric warehouse solution will allow us to store, cross dock and distribute products in a temperature-controlled eco-friendly environment.
“We will also be able to further enhance our fully automated customs solutions for the import and export of these goods, making our supply chain processes more streamlined and efficient for all of our customers – it is truly a masterpiece of intelligent storage and distribution”.
L-R: Chris Slowey, Manfreight; Steve Baker, NI Minister; Michael Robinson, port director at Belfast Harbour; and Nick McCullough, Manfreight, on site of the new £9m logistics hub.
Visiting the site of the new facility, Steve Baker MP, Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office said: “Belfast Harbour is a key asset for the local economy, hosting more than five million annual visits, including 1.5 million ferry and cruise ship passengers and handling 70 percent of all the region’s seaborne trade.
“This £9m investment by Belfast Harbour in a new logistics warehouse facility, with Manfreight as a tenant, will significantly benefit Northern Irish agri-food producers and retailers boosting both import and export trading.”
Michael Robinson, Port Director at Belfast Harbour said: “As construction of this new logistics facility on West Bank Road gets underway, we’re pleased to announce that Manfreight will be the tenant, occupying the warehouse space on a long-term basis which demonstrates their confidence in the both local agri-food and distribution sector and also the competitive advantage the facility and its location will provide.
“Over the past decade, we have seen requirements change in the logistics market, with occupiers requiring more modern, energy efficient facilities, and this site presented an opportunity to construct an occupier-led, purpose-built warehouse in an ideal location within the Harbour Estate close to our main ferry terminals.
“With more than 500,000ft² of modern logistics space already developed in this part of the Harbour Estate, it is clear that the market sees the economic value of locating in the Port beside the ferry terminals.”