Oakland International to increase Dublin capacity ready for January 2021
Print3 November 2020
In readiness for change and the many challenges of Brexit, total supply chain solutions specialist Oakland International is set to increase capacity at its Dublin facility by over 60% as of January 2021.
Oakland International is a B2C/B2B specialist in contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and brand development support provider for ambient, chilled and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and foodservice markets in the UK, Ireland and via its partner in Spain.
After launching in Ireland in 2009 and establishing a strong presence via a joint collaboration with Mark Caffrey, Oakland took the strategic decision in 2018 to expand and move to what it describes as “the ideal location” of Food Central. Adjacent to Dublin airport, with excellent motorway links, and less than 10 minutes from the Dublin port tunnel, Oakland claims the location placed the group “in the right place at the right time”.
“Having moved from a 9,000 sq ft warehouse to a 30,000 sq ft purpose built facility in 2018 we are delighted to be expanding again in the New Year when we will be in a 50,000 sq ft warehouse, servicing all major Irish retailers,” said Richard Hill, Oakland International director.
“We’ll also be responsible for the building of a total 80,000 sq ft warehouse in Food Central,” Hill added, “all thanks to the hard work of our team and their desire to provide a premium service to support suppliers and Irish retailers.”
Looking ahead, Oakland reports it is prepared for this next busy trading period, which will be challenging both regarding Brexit and the pandemic.
In addition, Oakland said it is on target to add to this with a further 30,000 sq ft extension in its collaborative partnership with Agro Merchants.
Oakland is preparing for “significant expansion” of its chilled and frozen supply chain consolidation operations for the whole of Ireland over the coming year, with contract packing and direct-to-consumer (D2C) solutions alone expecting significant growth in the first six-months of 2021.
“We’ve learnt from 2020,” Hill said, “that retail will be strong, particularly if food service is curtailed by Covid, with our plan to continue to invest in our people and our growth strategy, whilst strengthening and building on our successes.
“Consolidating customer product into all major retailers,” he added, “we’re able to help and support those who wish to act for themselves, with Oakland ideally located both close to retailers and to the port for imported goods. 2021 provides challenge, but also great opportunity.”
The BRC AA accredited business which has received a double Queen’s Award for Enterprise recipient for International Trade and Sustainable Development, reports it is also working towards becoming the first carbon-neutral business within its sector.
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