Cardiff Distribution Terminal will be officially opened by the Rt Hon. Rhodri Morgan, A.M., M.P., First Minister, National Assembly for Wales, with Bo Lerenius, Group Chief Executive, Associated British Ports Holdings PLC, hosting the opening ceremony and launch celebrations.
ABP has invested GBP2.5 million in Cardiff Distribution Terminal, which is located on the south side of Queen Alexandra Dock at ABP’s Port of Cardiff. The facility is sited within its own secure compound and is equipped with a drive-in racking system for 8,000 pallets. While the terminal is common-user, leading pet products specialist, The Bob Martin Company, has a dedicated area within the terminal.
Rhodri Morgan said:
ABP’s continued commitment to its South Wales ports and the South Wales economy is clearly shown by their investment of GBP2.5m in this new distribution terminal. The Assembly administration strongly supports this kind of investment because an efficient port system in Wales is crucial to a modern transport infrastructure and modern economy.
As ABP’s newly-established value-added services division, ABP Connect will operate Cardiff Distribution Terminal as part of the overall supply-chain management, warehousing, distribution and transport services it will provide. ABP Connect will also incorporate other value-added businesses that were previously operated by ABP’s Slaters Transport, Exxtor Haulage, Cardiff Cold Store and Southampton Free Trade Zone. ABP Connect has been created as part of the company’s strategy of growing its core ports and transport business by developing and extending the value-added services it is able to offer its customers.
Commenting on the opening of Cardiff Distribution Terminal and the launch of ABP Connect, Bo Lerenius said:
The launch of ABP Connect is an exciting occasion for us – and it is made even more significant by the fact that we are able to showcase some of its capabilities and resources to you today, with the opening of the new Cardiff Distribution Terminal. Strategically, ABP Connect is important to our operations as it is one of the ways in which we intend to grow our business, by focusing on and developing the value-added services that we can offer our customers. The launch of this new division does not represent a departure for us – it is an extension of activities in which ABP, as a group of ports and transport-related businesses, already has considerable expertise. The purpose of ABP Connect is to consolidate these activities, giving them greater focus so that the growth potential of our value-added services capabilities can be fully realised.
