Nationwide Produce has expanded one of its warehouses in Evesham by 75% while introducing greener measures, thanks to the support of a £3.5m loan from Lloyds Bank.
The family-owned business started life in Lancashire as Bernard O’Malley & Sons almost 50 years ago. It says it prides itself on its ability to work across the entire supply chain, growing, grading, packing, trading, importing, and exporting fresh produce including vegetables and fruits from around the world.
The business approached Lloyds Bank, securing a £3.5 million funding package that was used to increase the space of its warehouse in Evesham by 75% from 32,000 sq. ft to 56,000 sq. ft. The expansion also saw the business’s pallet capacity rise from 900 to 2,100, allowing for more stock to be stored. It built build five temperature-controlled chambers which offer an 84% reduction in global warming potential, meaning they can achieve the same cooling effect as previous chambers while emitting fewer greenhouse gases.
Solar panels were also installed at the warehouse, growing its total renewable electricity offering by almost two thirds and bringing capacity up to 500kW across the company’s facilities. To minimise waste that ends up in landfill, Nationwide Produce has also implemented a streamlined waste management process that utilises anaerobic digestion, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing landfill costs.
Now, the business is planning to expand its product range to include frozen foods, as well as investing in new packing machinery to enhance its offerings and further increase its appeal to its customers.
Tim O’Malley, group Managing Director at Nationwide Produce Plc, said: “As a global importer, and UK and EU exporter, we are seeing a rise in demand for fresh produce from customers across all sectors of the market. Last year, our turnover was above pre-pandemic levels at £143 million and we’re already set to see a record-breaking turnover of £185 million this year as we meet demand for increased volume.
“The new warehouse space will be vital in helping maximise this opportunity for growth by helping us work more efficiently, improve and expand our product line, and ultimately, provide our customers with an even better service. We’re also committed to driving decarbonisation within the company and are proud to say 100% of the power needed to run our UK depots and offices is being produced from renewable energy sources, including our recently installed solar panels.”
