Reed Boardall cheers cold store expansion

A North Yorkshire-based operator in the temperature-controlled food storage sector is seeing impressive financial growth following recent investments in its facilities.

Reed Boardall has reported a rise in pre-tax profits to £2.51 million for the year ending March 2024, marking a net profit increase to 1.9 per cent of revenue from 1.1 per cent the previous year.

Bosses say the growth is partly down to the nearly “full utilisation” of its state-of-the-art cold storage facility in Boroughbridge, which was expanded in 2021 to accommodate 168,000 pallets, as well as its reputation as a long-term cold storage and transport partner that prioritises “quality of service” and the success of its “single site strategy”.

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, said: “After a tough few years which saw the industry reeling from the impact of Covid and then spiralling costs, we are now seeing the business entering calmer waters.

“It’s gratifying to start to realise the benefits of our significant investment in increasing capacity and strengthening our single site model.

“While it continues to be a dynamic market with some of the major players moving between logistics providers, we are finding that the strength of our reputation for delivering product on time, every time, is attracting new customers as well as helping us to retain or expand our existing contracts.

“Having served the country’s leading food retailers and manufacturers for over 30 years, it’s reassuring to see that customers are continuing to prioritise quality of service and seeking a reputable long-term cold storage and transport partner.”

The company, which operates one of the largest temperature-controlled distribution sites in the UK, has experienced increased demand across all areas, including storage, transport and ancillary services such as blast freezing, picking and packing.

Its fleet of 200 vehicles, operating 24 hours a day, delivers 12,000 pallets of frozen food daily to major supermarkets across the UK, alongside goods from Europe and beyond.

Sarah Roberts, group finance director of Reed Boardall, added: “These latest encouraging financial results are a further demonstration of the success of our single site strategy which enables us to serve customers efficiently.

“Over the last year, we’ve increased volumes, meaning that we expect to be operating full utilisation of our extensive cold storage facilities by the end of our current financial year in the spring. 

“During 2024, we have been less affected by labour shortages, largely due to the success of our inhouse driver training academy which has resulted in 80 new HGV drivers qualifying since our scheme began. We are continuing to invest in developing our dedicated team which is at the heart of our ability to provide exceptional service.

“We pride ourselves on our innovation and look forward to further strengthening our customer relationships as we remain committed to being at the forefront of the industry.

“We are approaching the year ahead from a position of strength, confident that our can-do attitude and solid reputation will continue to reassure some of the best-loved names in the British food sector that they are in the capable hands of a long-established, reliable partner.”

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