Irish parcels carrier Nightline has announced plans for a massive expansion of its operations inNorthern Ireland.
The multi-million pound investment will treble the size of the current Belfast depot owned andoperated by the firm, which is Ireland’s largest independent delivery company. The announcementfollows the news of a €5.5 million redevelopment of its Dublin headquarters.
The Belfast site is set to be among the most secure such facilities anywhere in Europe and, saysNightline CEO John Tuohy, reflects the need for the firm’s physical presence to grow in order tomatch the extra business it is generating.
“The scale of the increase in size we need in Belfast is an immediate indication of the rise involumes of parcel traffic which we are seeing pass through our existing Northern Ireland hub. Italso illustrates the sort of growth that we’re seeing right across the company. Our decision willnot only result in a much bigger depot but the need for increased staff numbers in order tomaintain the superb levels of service which we have built our reputation in Belfast and elsewhereupon.”
Tuohy said that Nightline’s initial investment to convert the 50,000 square feet unit warehouseand office unit into a complex capable of supporting its work with leading mobiletelecommunications, games consoles, fashion, pharmaceuticals and food brands would amount toseveral million pounds alone.
Preparations will involve ensuring that the site’s infrastructure meets the highest securitystandards set by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA). All of Nightline’s facilitiesin the Irish Republic – at Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Limerick and Sligo – have suchaccreditation, giving it one of the highest concentrations of TAPA-certified premises operated by asingle carrier anywhere in Europe.
In April, Tuohy revealed that his award-winning company had embarked on a redevelopment of itsDublin headquarters which would increase its capacity by 40 per cent.
Nightline was formed in 1992. In addition to its seven wholly-owned Irish depots, it opened a UKregional office at Altham, Lancashire last July. The initiative was intended to capitalise on thefirm’s growing share of parcel traffic shipped across the Irish Sea.
The company has already delivered contracts to deliver Ireland-bound freight traffic forretailers, such as Coast, Oasis and Warehouse chains, and Findel Education, the UK’s biggesteducational supplies company. Nightline’s UK office has also been instrumental in processingconsiderable volumes of agricultural engineering exports and had succeeded in putting in place adeal to handle all Irish shipments on behalf of the UK Pallet network.
