TCE sign 10-year warehousing and logistics contract
Tata Chemicals Europe (“TCE”) and Wincanton, a leading supply chain partner for UK business, have signed a 10-year warehousing and logistics contract. The long-term partnership confirms Wincanton’s integral role in supporting TCE’s strategic growth plans, which include a UK-first from British Salt Limited – TCE’s high purity salt manufacturing business.
The leading supply chain partner will manage TCE’s new state-of-the-art 185,000 sq ft warehouse at British Salt’s site in Middlewich – which is set for completion in late summer 2023 – and from the autumn of 2023 will commence handling the logistics and distribution of all of TCE’s palletised, packed sodium bicarbonate and salt products.
From 2024, British Salt will become the UK’s first producer of pharmaceutical grade salt, which will be used for medications such as oral rehydration salts and life-saving haemodialysis treatment. This new pharmaceutical salt business will complement TCE’s existing, globally significant, pharmaceutical sodium bicarbonate business, and will benefit from TCE’s years of experience of the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector.
TCE’s packed pharmaceutical grade salt and sodium bicarbonate pharmaceutical products, along with food-grade salt and sodium bicarbonate, will be warehoused in the cutting-edge, highly controlled, new facility. The warehouse will be accredited to BRC and the MHRA standards, along with all relevant SHEQ accreditations. Wincanton will operate the new warehouse, ensuring that these stringent regulatory conditions are met for storing products used in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
By implementing its ‘best in class’ technology solutions, Wincanton will deliver sustainable value for TCE. Manhattan, a world-leading leading warehouse management system, will be deployed to enhance visibility and stock control, supporting TCE’s ongoing drive for exceptional customer service.
The usage of Wincanton’s Transport Control Tower technology will increase supply chain resilience, helping TCE optimise costs and support the reduction of transport-related CO2 emissions.
Wincanton will manage packed product distribution services for TCE and British Salt customers based both in the UK and internationally: the UK-made high grade, high purity products are distributed to over 60 countries across the globe.
Building on day-to-day operational excellence, the partnership will also drive innovation and diversification. Working together, both parties will collaborate closely to further enhance efficient, customer-oriented operations of warehousing and logistics.
Carl Meewezen, MD for Public and Industrial at Wincanton, said of the partnership:
“We are delighted to have been chosen as a trusted, long-term supply chain partner by Tata Chemicals Europe & British Salt to drive forward its exciting growth plans. This contract is a significant milestone for our Public and Industrial business and is testament to the strength, breadth, and quality of our services.
“We look forward to supporting Tata Chemicals Europe to enhance their customer service and also innovating to help unlock significant productivity and efficiency gains for Tata Chemicals Europe & British Salt over the coming decade.”
Angus Vause, Sales & Marketing Director of Tata Chemicals Europe added:
“With the opening of the new warehouse and new pharma grade salt manufacturing plant, we wanted to ensure that our chosen logistics partner would help us to deliver high quality customer service to match our high quality products. In Wincanton – with their warehouse and supply chain operational excellence – we have found an organisation that will help us do just that, supporting the journey to take our operations to the next level. Our customer relationships are paramount, and we will communicate full details of the change in storage facility well in advance, ensuring a seamless transition to the new warehouse.”