March 2013 – Premier announces £500,000 capital investment

Premier Paper Group, the UK’s largest independent paper merchant has announced an investment of half a million pounds in its Birmingham-based Central Distribution Centre. 

Premier has taken delivery of four new Linde K15 man-up combi trucks to service the facility’s 11 pallet, 17 metre high, narrow aisle configuration for the bulk storage of pallets.

The new K15 man-up combi trucks which will replace Premier’s existing Cleeco cranes, offer improved productivity, advanced operator comfort and lower operating costs. Key features including speeds up to 12kph, simultaneous traction and lift, better battery capacity and the ability to regenerate energy on mast lowering and braking, which reduces energy use; will deliver higher levels of productivity within Premier’s distribution centre.

Richard Minns, Supply Chain Director said: “In order for these state-of-the-art trucks to work at maximum efficiency, it has been necessary to achieve precise levelling on the warehouse floors; the amount of work done in preparation for the arrival of the trucks has been enormous and the total cost of the project is approaching half a million pounds.

“However, we expect to see a rapid return on investment; the new trucks are faster and more efficient than the legacy equipment and smaller in length, making movement from aisle to aisle smoother and faster. We expect to significantly increase our capacity across both the stock in and order picking processes; with less downtime due to mechanical failure, coupled with faster speeds and higher performance; ultimately leading to greater customer satisfaction.”

In addition, the new Linde K15 man-up combi trucks are equipped with a Windows-based PC unit on the dashboard. “The console is much more user-friendly than that featured on the Cleeco cranes, it’s brighter and quicker and will enable operators to update stock in and pick orders in real-time,” said Minns.