KINAXIA SIGNS TASTY NEW DEAL WITH SPL FOODS

Kinaxia Logistics has signed a three-year extension to its nationwide distribution contract with SPL Foods, a family-owned supplier of ambient foods.

Kinaxia Logistics has signed a three-year extension to its nationwide distribution contract with a family-owned supplier of ambient foods.

The company’s contract with SPL Foods is managed by its Bay Freight depot in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. Bay Freight was Kinaxia’s first acquisition in 2012. 

SPL Foods, which has its headquarters in Chadderton, Oldham, supplies pasta, rice, grains, herbs and spices, beans and pulses, sauces, condiments and other ambient items to a broad client base including food retailers, cash and carry depots, national food wholesalers, manufacturers and end-users such as industrial kitchen operations in prisons, schools and other locations.

The £30m-plus turnover business, which has 60 staff, imports dried goods from across the globe and operates from a seven-acre site.

Managing director Robert Simon is the third generation of his family to head the business, following in the footsteps of his father Harold and his grandfather Maurice, the founder. Fourth generation family members are also working in the company.

Kinaxia undertakes multiple daily collections of palletised goods using trailers branded with the SPL Foods livery, transporting full loads and utilising its internal K-Link trunking network for delivery to sites throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

Dave Cork, general manager at Bay Freight, said: “Our national infrastructure and depot network, combined with our local market expertise and dedication to service excellence, have been critical factors in developing our successful relationship with SPL Foods over the years. 

“We understand the SPL Foods business well and provide a tailored service to meet all of its requirements in an efficient and hassle-free way. We’re excited to continue this partnership in the years ahead.”

Robert said SPL is seeing double-digit growth in annual volumes and supplied over 35,000 pallets of goods in 2023.

He said: “We like to work on a long-term basis with our suppliers and contractors and we have a 20-year working relationship with Dave. Suppliers are as important to me as my customers.

“Without a strong and reliable supply chain, you cannot offer a good service to your customers, and it’s important for us to have continuity and consistency. 

“Bay Freight provides a first-class service and we are delighted to be continuing to work with the team there and across the Kinaxia network to support our expansion.”

Kinaxia’s chief operating officer Simon Nelson said: “This contract extension demonstrates our long-term commitment to continually adapting and improving our service to customers. Driven by our One Kinaxia strategy, we offer a seamless national solution unified by technology, market-leading infrastructure and regional expertise to deliver a high-quality service.”

Kinaxia, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, has 1,600 staff nationwide and operates a fleet of 800 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors. Its national network of hubs provides a full source-to-shelf logistics service.

It has 2.7 million sq ft of strategic national warehousing facilities offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management, storage services and a complete distribution service.