Greggs merges two storage facilities into a purpose built unit
The baked goods retailer updated its Gosforth bakery and raw materials storage facility by combining two units in one purpose-built site.
Greggs’ long-term storage systems supplier RediRack came up with a design that made use of the existing racking from the original buildings but, by adding new sections where necessary, raised the height of the racking structure from 7.2 to 9 metres.
The new design has allowed Greggs to increase pallet capacity at the Gosforth raw materials store from 893 to 1290 pallet spaces while keeping storage system build costs down.
“The storage configuration within our sites can change frequently,” says Greggs’ group production project manager, Peter Boughton. “RediRack’s solution is perfect for us because it is scalable. Because it can be changed easily, it is both cost-effective and time saving.”
The existing RediRack racking – which was still in excellent condition after three years of heavy usage – had to be dismantled four months prior to re-use to allow building works to progress during the building conversion process. This meant that the rebuild of the racking needed to be planned in three phases to coincide with the handover of the completed phases of the building. All three phases were completed on time and within the pre-agreed budget.
The RediRack system is very popular within the food industry due, in part, to the fact that it is easier to maintain and keep clean than alternative systems – something which makes compliance with stringent food industry hygiene regulations simpler to realise.
Ease of maintenance is achieved thanks to the ‘bolt free’ manufacturing technique used in the production of RediRack’s pallet racking. RediRack is the UK’s only manufacturer of welded frame racking and, because the system is ‘bolt free,’ there are no areas within the racking’s horizontal or vertical sections where food particles can collect, while its seamless painted surfaces can be easily wiped clean when required.
Of equal importance is the fact that the racking’s welded construction method means that there are no nuts, bolts or other metal components to come loose and, potentially, find their way into the raw materials being stored and, ultimately, into finished goods destined for the consumer.
RediRack has been Greggs’ primary pallet racking supplier for over a decade during which time a number of Greggs sites have been re-engineered to keep pace with increasing demand or shifting consumer buying trends.
