Fruit importer, ripener and distributor the SH Pratt Group is set to run a bespoke temperature-controlled facility at DP World London Gateway that promises to improve sustainability, reduce demurrage and enhance freshness.

Operating out of the Logistics Park “Halo”, the 108,555 sq ft construction of the facility will get underway later this year. 

The new facility will be located at DP World London Gateway's West Zone which is marked here in red.

SH Pratt’s objective is to improve logistics, ensure a more sustainable supply chain, reduce waste and increase freshness.

The new facility will feature different temperatures, from frozen to ambient, using advanced IT systems to monitor products and ensure quality.

Completion is planned for mid 2018 and the company will begin the lease agreement.

“Halo is a new venture under the SH Pratt Group banner. The business will see us drawing on our expertise in delivering a quality service when it comes to handling a wide range of products,” says SH Pratt Group managing director David Bateman .

“Subject to final design details being agreed, Halo will be operating the port’s first temperature-controlled, chilled and frozen supply chain facility.

“DP World London Gateway is perfectly positioned close to the M25 and has unrivalled access to the rest of the U.K. This will mean we are able to pass on tangible savings to customers and also reduce demurrage by offering a rapid turnaround.”

DP World London Gateway CEO Chris Lewis believes sustainability is becoming increasingly important to U.K. consumers and the positioning of the new facility plays into this. 

Construction to start in Q4 2017, operational mid-late 2018. Chris Lewis, left, with David Bateman.

“In just over a year’s time, SH Pratt Group will have a world-class, temperature controlled distribution facility on the same site as a world-class semi-automated port, located right on the doorstep of the U.K.’s biggest consumer market with unrivalled access to the whole of the country,” he says.

“Sustainability is a growing concern to British shoppers, and by locating here SH Pratt Group will be able to deliver on their commitments to the environment while also ensuring consumers get the freshest produce by taking advantage of our extensive maritime and landside transport connections.”

The decision to site the new venture at DP World London Gateway Logistics Park will reduce the distance, journey time, waste and cost for customers of moving products – ensuring a more sustainable temperature-controlled supply chain.

Technology and logistics

Enterprise resource planning software (ERP) allows customers to track the progress of their goods through a portal and DP World London Gateway expects port health inspectors may take place at the Halo facility some time in the future.

The Halo centre will handle goods arriving from all over the world and is part of SH Pratt Group’s programme of investment. It’s also supported by Kinship Logistics, its wholly-owned logistics subsidiary, together with FreshLinc, the venture’s strategic logistics partner.

This will provide access to more than 400 vehicles nationwide, supporting U.K. and wider European access to and from the facility.