Europa Road, the haulage arm of Europa Worldwide, has moved to its new £30m home in Dartford, creating what it claims is the UK’s largest European groupage hub.
Following the move from its previous base in Erith, all 10 of Europa Road’s branches around the UK will now trunk directly into the 290,000ft2 facility.
Andrew Baxter, MD of Europa Worldwide Group, said: “By centralising all our volume in one hub, we will be able to increase payloads and operate direct line services to more European hubs, which will drive down overseas distribution costs.
“In addition, this move means we will be able to build daily services to all our European partner depots, which will reduce transit times and improve quality.”
The company estimates that Dartford is the gateway between the UK and the continent for 95% of groupage business and adds that economic and transit time benefits cannot be replicated by national hubs based in the midlands.
Baxter added: “This is a critical issue for the pallet networks, which will continue to limit their progress in the European groupage market. Taking a pallet from London to Birmingham and then to Paris, means two things – higher prices, and slower transit times. This is not a model that will succeed in the long term.”
As of 1 August, Europa will close its northern hub operations in Birmingham, but its Birmingham sales branch, seafreight office and local distribution will be unaffected by the change. Its logistics operation will expand into the space vacated by road freight.
The decision affects 29 jobs in Birmingham but Europa hopes to offer the opportunity for redeployment elsewhere.
Europa Worldwide currently employs more than 500 people at 13 sites in the UK and Hong Kong.
