Demes Completes Major Investment Programme At Leeds Plant
Demes, part of DS Smith Plastics and one of Europe's leading providers of packaging logistics, has centralised its UK operations at its Leeds plant with a major £250,000 investment, which has significantly increased production capacity and enhanced working procedures.
The new facilities will enable the company to offer an improved service and faster turnaround for customers.
Demes is a European leader in the provision of returnable packaging pooling solutions and offers both local and international contract management services to customers in a diverse range of industries, including glass containers, PET, food, beverage, automotive and retail.
The Leeds site will now become the company's UK headquarters, centralising operations from its Clay Cross and Harlow facilities.
In an environmentally friendly closed loop operation, the Leeds plant specialises in returnable plastic packaging and the vital avoidance of contamination for leading brand names, including Budweiser and Chivas.
Yorkshire regional glass container companies, including Allied, Ardagh and Beatson Clark are leading customers.
Demes manages pools of pallets, layer pads and other packaging assets efficiently to produce savings of up to 30% when compared with traditional pallet rental solutions.
Support is also given to the transit pool requirements of various elements of the retail sector.
A key part of the investment is the installation of a second wash machine for the layer pads to which will provide greater production capacity and further increase standards of hygiene and cleanliness.
Reconfiguration of the building has streamlined the operation and facilitated the separation of the storage warehouse into three areas: clean, dirty and dispatch.
A new fast acting door enables pads, delivered by roller beds and selected by forklift truck, to move swiftly from the dirty area to the washroom for processing.
Safety and hygiene have also been enhanced with new walls and flooring, safety markings, and the creation of special demarcation zones removed to facilitate safe handling of the products during delivery, processing and despatch.
In addition, the purchase of a new Euro V vehicle will bring environmental benefits, with cleaner emissions and a greater load bearing capability that reduces the number of trips required per delivery.
Demes says plastic layer pads are rapidly replacing traditional materials thanks to their longevity (pads manufactured as long as ago as 1996 are still in use) and 100% recyclability once they come to the end of their working life.
The new facilities were launched to customers at a special Open Day, where visitors were able to tour the premises, view the newly refurbished plant and equipment and find out more about the benefits that this investment programme will offer.
“Leeds' central location, its major road and rail links make it ideal for servicing UK companies and the close proximity of Leeds Bradford Airport adds to the package,” comments Leslie Law, Demes quality and customer services manager.
“Senior managers from company headquarters in Germany, can fly in direct from Düsseldorf and the expanding number of routes serviced by the airport provide easy access for European visitors to the site.”
