Devon Contract Waste celebrates launch of new distribution hub

Exeter-based waste management company Devon Contract Waste is celebrating the launch of its new £1.2 million Distribution Hub on Matford Business Park.

The construction of the 1.2 acre facility has been supported by the South West Growth Fund with a grant of £80,000, and ensures the company continues to drive its market leading position as the only provider of Zero to Landfill services in the South West.

Devon Contract Waste’s previous facility on Marsh Barton Trading Estate was destroyed by a devastating fire in March this year. The new Distribution Hub is equipped with the latest baling technology to triple the company’s waste handling capacity to 300,000 tonnes of waste per year, enabling the pioneering business to extend its services to more companies across Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.

Speaking about the launch of the Distribution Hub, Devon Contract Waste managing director, Simon Almond, commented: “When the devastating fire struck our Envirohub in March we were already building our new facility on Matford Business Park and were able to immediately repurpose the unfinished site and divert our vehicle fleet in order to maintain our usual high standards of service delivery. We very quickly reviewed what is best for our customers and for our business, and have designed the Distribution Hub to expand our waste handling capacity with the latest MacPresse baler and further improve the efficiency of our processes. We are now in a strong position to focus on the redevelopment of our Envirohub site and are looking ahead positively to the future.”

The Distribution Hub, originally intended to serve as a data destruction facility prior to the fire, has been repurposed to house a simple and efficient sorting line. Mixed waste will be baled and transported on empty returning HGVs to be processed by supply partner, Oakleaf, at its cutting edge London facility.

The construction of the Distribution Hub has been boosted by funding from the South West Growth Fund (SWGF); an £8.7 million grant programme supported by the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund.  The SWGF was secured and is managed by a partnership of the University of Plymouth, SWMAS Limited, South West Water and the Western Morning News.  The fund aims to support transformational projects in businesses throughout South West England, unlock £22 million of private investment and lead to the creation and safeguarding of 985 jobs.

For more information about Devon Contract Waste’s Zero to Landfill service, visit www.dcw.co.uk or call 01392 361300.