The Woodland Group has opened a new warehouse and logistics facility in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which becomes a key regional distribution center for the group's activities.

The new 2.5 acre (1 hectare) site offers 30,000 sq ft (2,800 sq m) of warehousing space, as well as an 8,000 sq ft (750 sq m) canopy area, and replaces the firm's original 9,000 sq ft (830 sq m) facility in the town.

According to Woodland, the new logistics center will provide a base for a 24/7 stock and serve operation for a customer that produces packing materials for the food industry. It will also provide short term storage and the handling of trailers and containers from Woodland's worldwide services.

The site employs nine staff and offers ample space for trailer parking. Rotherham becomes a key multi modal freight hub for Woodland, complementing the group's southern terminal at HQ in Essex.

"Woodland now operates a nightly trunk road service between our terminals in Coggeshall in Essex and Rotherham and the new facility removes the need for containers arriving in northern ports to be transported to the south for destuffing.

"As a result, we are benefiting from a number of cost savings and efficiencies," says Sean Kirby, managing director of CMR Logistics, a Woodland company that provides contract logistics management, national distribution and warehousing services.

The new facility is a registered Enhanced Remote Transit Shed (ERTS), enabling Woodland to unload and store consignments that have not yet cleared customs. SAP IT systems are in place to manage warehousing processes and monitor inventory levels.

Kevin Stevens, chairman of the Woodland Group, added: "Whilst the general economic downturn is affecting the logistics sector, Woodland continues to see strong demand for its services. Now is an excellent time to invest in group infrastructure and the new warehouse will enable us to co-ordinate our efforts much more efficiently."

The Woodland Group is one of the UK's leading independent freight forwarders, with offices and agents worldwide. The group offers a full range of multimodal transportation services, including freight forwarding by air, ocean and road, as well as inventory management, supply chain solutions and specialist services.