Reefer work goes cold for BOCDS
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by Karen Miles • BOC Distribution Services is to pull out of a large chunk of its temperature controlled network as problems with supermarkets have made the business unviable.
Dramatically longer waiting times at regional distribution centres and longer delays when collecting suppliers' goods for the RDCs caused financial problems which customers refused to pay for, says 130C.
As a result, the company has told the 500 staff at its depots in Airdrie, near Edinburgh, Warrington, Harlow and Bristol that they will lose their jobs by 24 November unless a buyer is found, The four sites break even on a combined annual turnover of around £30 million.
Much of the work at Harlow and Bristol is for J Sainsbury but the threatened network also operates for around 130 other suppliers.
Other BOC Distribution Services temperature-controlled work for Marks & Spencer and Asda is unaffected.
"We tried for six or seven months to try to understand the business better and extend its life We spent all our time trying to reorganise and reshuffle to try to make a penny," says BOC Distribution Services director David Betts.
The sale of assets has already attracted "quite a lot of interest" says Betts, but the Transporl and General Workers Union says it is only "fairly hopeful" of the company finding a buyer.