SCOTTISH wholesaler JW Filshill has revealed a landmark move to a bigger base at Westway Park near Glasgow Airport.
Boss Simon Hannah declared the firm has made the investment because it “can’t hold off waiting for Brexit”, saying that the location of the new headquarters will “become increasingly important as we develop our international business in the coming years”.
Canmoor, a developer and asset manager in the warehouse and business space sectors, has agreed terms for what was described as Scotland’s largest industrial pre-let for five years.
The deal, subject to planning consent, will see a 120,400 sq ft (11,185 sqm) distribution centre developed for Filshill on a 6.7 acre site which is three miles away from its current Hillington base.
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Filshill, one of Scotland’s oldest independent food and drink wholesalers, supplies 185 KeyStore convenience stores across Scotland and the north of England.
With turnover on track to hit in excess of £155 million this year, Filshill has continued to expand in the last 20 years and now has over 1,400 delivered goods customers, including several national accounts such as the Scottish Prison Service and CalMac.
The firm said that growth has been fuelled by development of its core delivered wholesale business coupled with expansion of its craft beers and spirits business and international division which exports Scottish-produced beer, spirits and other food products to the rest of the world, Asia-Pacific in particular.
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Simon Hannah, managing director of Filshill, said the move would secure employment and improve efficiencies, with the move coming at a time of wider international uncertainty.
He said: “We can’t hold off waiting for Brexit. We need to get ready for the next phase of group growth, keep ourselves relevant to the ever-changing market, ensure job security for our staff and continuously improve on providing service excellence to our customers - that’s all hugely important to us.”
Derek Mackay, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, said: “I look forward to hearing more about these proposals as they progress.”
Bob Grant, chief executive of Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This substantial investment demonstrates the ambition of Filshill as they continue their expansion in UK and international markets.”
“To secure the long-term future of 200 jobs in Renfrewshire is great news.”
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