Chalcroft warms up with new cold store

Pershore-based food sector specialist Chalcroft Construction has warmed up for the year ahead by completing work on a new £4m cold and chill store facility for third-party logistics firm Grocontinental.

Grocontinental, based on the Whitchurch Business Park, Whitchurch, has embarked on a controlled expansion programme aimed at ensuring existing customer requirements are met. It has also invested in a new truck fleet and new facilities.

The 4,550 sq m, single-storey building constructed by Chalcroft, which has been Grocontinental’s construction supplier for 16 years, comprises a new chill and cold store.

The cold store is capable of storing foods at temperatures of up to minus 25 degrees C, while the chill store can go up to plus 8 degrees C.

The chill store, which utilises glycol cooling systems, accommodates nine mobile racking levels, while the cold store, with an ammonia refrigeration plant, is six racks high.

A key environmental aspect of the new warehouse is the use of movement sensors for lights, which operate at 100% when in use and dim to 30% when no movement is detected.

Linda Grocott, joint managing director of Grocontinental, said: “We are a well-established family-owned business that has developed a reputation for providing first-class customer service.

“The investment in new facilities will further enhance our offering, and we are delighted that Chalcroft Construction has once again delivered us a warehousing solution that fully meets our needs.”

The work has been carried out within a strict timetable that means the new facility can be used to store additional seasonal stock.

John Reeve, from Chalcroft, said: “Grocontinental is a great example of a confident company that is responding to its customer’s needs and investing in its future.

“Chalcroft has been associated with Grocontinental since 1994, constructing a series of warehousing and cold store facilities as the company has grown and made a name for itself in the food sector.”

In addition to its Worcestershire base, Chalcroft Construction has facilities in East Anglia. Its other clients include Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Dairy Crest, Branston Potatoes and Nestlé.

It has recently secured contracts for a range of food companies across the UK, including the development of a new chill chamber for a major producer in Lincolnshire, and a chill store extension for a food wholesaler in Hertfordshire.