Foodstuffs North Island, the 100 percent New Zealand-owned and operated cooperative behind PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square, has officially opened a new cross-dock and depot facility in Hastings.
This new state-of-the-art multi-temperature facility is designed specifically for the supply and distribution of groceries. It will transform how the cooperative distributes groceries and other essentials across North Island.
The new 20 million dollar facility is the second new regional transport depot to be opened by the cooperative in the last six months and is equipped with dedicated docks for loading and unloading, allowing up to six trucks to be loaded simultaneously, meaning more on-time deliveries. Cargo from import containers arriving from Port Napier will also be removed, allowing for an even more efficient distribution of supplies across North Island.
"We’re delighted to officially open our new cross dock and depot facility in Hastings. It will be a real game-changer for our operation in the region and across the North Island,” said Chief Executive of Foodstuffs North Island, Chris Quin.
Quin elaborated that the new depot will ensure that food is distributed efficiently, safely, and with high quality. The investment is significant for the Hawke’s Bay region. The cooperative stated its excitement to see the new facility's positive impact on its customers and the wider community.
“Despite being newly opened, we’ve already given it a shake-down following Cyclone Gabrielle. We strategically decided to use the site as our staging post for serving the region, so it’s been used for loading food and other essentials like star link kits onto helicopters, trucks, and other vehicles for reaching cut-off and isolated communities across Hawke’s Bay and beyond. It’s been an unsung hero in helping us recover our operations quickly after the cyclone.”
Cross-docking will also be undertaken at the facility. Bulk orders arrive on large trucks before being broken down into small orders for delivery to local stores by smaller vehicles. This will help ensure products are delivered to stores quickly and efficiently, helping ensure maximum freshness and quality.
The new building features automatic gates, laser lights for walkways, CCTV, multi-temperature facilities for storing fresh, frozen and ambient products, automatic doors, six docks for safe and efficient rear loading of trucks, EV chargers and an entire electric forklift fleet.
The state-of-the-art facility ensures all products are stored at the optimal temperature, providing the highest levels of freshness and quality.
The new building has 30 people employed by Foodstuffs North Island. This is a significant investment for Foodstuffs North Island and a testament to the cooperative's commitment to providing high-quality, efficient, and safe food distribution services across the North Island.
