When frozen fruit and vegetable specialist Ardo UK needed a new cold store facility to cope with growing demand, the company looked no further than high-care construction specialist Chalcroft.
After successfully completing a £6.7m cold store and packing hall for Ardo in 2009 over a 44-week period, Chalcroft was called upon in late 2013 to partner the Kent-based business on the design and build of a new extension to the facility.
Bordered by the Kent Downs, an area of outstanding natural beauty, as well as residential communities, Ardo was keen to minimise the impact of a new building. With the guidance of the local council, Chalcroft incorporated exterior cladding in two shades to help mask the structure – pale ‘goosewing grey’ to blend in with cloudy British skies when viewed from below, and a darker grey to merge with surrounding trees when seen from the hills above.
With the original premises built in 2000 and the first extension in 2009, providing both interior and exterior continuity between each phase of construction was a priority for Ardo and Chalcroft. Inside, the building fabric has been carefully sealed to ensure a consistent temperature of -22°C can be achieved. Chalcroft also incorporated a protective firewall between the new and existing phases, meaning the business could remain operational as any fire could be contained without spreading to adjacent phases while outside, the cladding was extended to provide a seamless finish.
In order to fulfil customer commitments, the new build had to be carefully planned so as not to disrupt operations. Jon Barnes, Ardo UK’s Supply Chain and Inventory Director, explained: “Business continuity was critical and our aim was to ensure uninterrupted service for our customers. Having worked with Chalcroft on the previous phase, we knew we could rely on them to manage the build sensitively. Indeed, some of the team working on the cold store had been part of the original project and that stability contributed greatly to a well-managed project which was completed on time and on budget, with no disruption to our core business.”
Mark Reeve, Chalcroft Managing Director, commented: “Having the opportunity to undertake new work for existing clients is always gratifying, and is testament to the outstanding service we provide. We develop close relationships with customers, becoming a true partner to them thanks to our understanding of not only the project, but the ongoing needs of their business.”
The new £4m cold store opened in late 2014 and adds almost 1,900m² of storage space to Ardo’s portfolio, bringing the site total to nearly 9,700m². Capable of holding 4,200 pallets, space-efficient mobile racking has been installed along with LED lighting controlled with motion sensors to reduce energy consumption.
Jon Barnes added: “Our overall storage capacity now exceeds 22,500 pallets and, with more space and improved handling facilities, we are well placed for continued growth in the years to come. Additionally, the efficient sealing of the building and motion-controlled lighting have contributed to our energy efficiency targets, saving us 97% of our electricity usage on lighting alone.”
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