A HUGE warehouse in Swindon’s newest business park processes nearly one million cases of goods a week for 250 shops.
The Iceland Distribution Centre in Symmetry Park opened last year to meet demand for supplies, and sorts products for Waitrose, The Range, and Premier Foods.
The supermarket’s second facility in the town joins the frozen and chilled food centre on Penzance Drive that has been operating for the last 28 years.
Altogether, they employ 800 staff at their busiest times of year, including 655 full-time employees, and 60 drivers and 30 warehouse workers from agencies.
The depots see a spike during the summer holidays then, as things calm in September, management start hiring temporary staff ready for the Christmas rush.
At its peak, demand soars by 15 per cent, 150 more product lines are added, and the warehouse staff sort up to 1,250,000 cases in a week.
The sites are managed on Iceland’s behalf by GXO, which is also in charge of the B&Q Distribution Centre in South Marston.
Symmetry Park site manager Kirk Giles and GXO business director Martin Atkinson spoke exclusively to the Adver while showing us around the enormous 250,000sq ft building.
It is only the second site in the country that stocks the full range of Iceland products, which are stacked in towering shelves that pickers navigate using forklifts and pallets.
Employees are told through their headsets about what cases need to be collected ready for delivery to supermarkets all over the country.
Kirk has been part of the Iceland team for 20 years, beginning as a packer for the freezer section and working his way up to a senior role that involves overseeing hundreds of staff.
He says his pathway through promotions is being followed by other colleagues in the company.
Kirk added: “Our business is people. The reason for our success is treating people the right way and giving them opportunities.
“Diversity and inclusion initiatives have been carried out. We welcomed our first prison leaver recently.
“For people who find formal interviews intimidating, we walk them around the warehouse in a friendly format. We share a newsletter celebrating individual success stories, take part in local football tournaments, supply food banks, and raise thousands for the CALM charity.
“At least 25 people have had formal training as mental health first-aiders to identify people who need help, even just a coffee and a chat to get things off their chest can make a difference.
“Not much has changed in warehousing and logistics over the years, but we do have more tech in the transport field to run more efficient operations."
Around two dozen staff joined the team after Honda and TS Tech closed in 2021.
The bosses are particularly proud of the driver academy which trains people to drive HGVs and pairs them with experienced workers who coach them until they can get a licence, without the trainee paying a penny. Ten warehouse staff in Swindon have re-trained as drivers in the last six months.
Martin added: “We have a graduate scheme to bring fresh ideas and new talent to the workforce. There’s a bit of a stigma against logistics jobs but it’s actually a very fulfilling career with lots of transferrable skills.
“This Swindon site is where we tend to test new innovations and solutions, because it's new and has access to the full range of goods - I think the other depots are a bit jealous!
"We have used AI to take 900,000km off our drivers’ journeys by optimising routes, and cut 500km off routes around the warehouse itself.
“This makes people’s jobs easier, calmer, and safer, and drives costs down.”
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