An £81,000 grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has paved the way for Nottinghamshire-based Refrigerated Delivery Services (RDS Ltd) to expand its frozen and chilled storage facilities, and plan to create 25 new jobs over 12 months.
The company, established over 20 years ago as a ‘one man and a van’ operation, now employs over 90 staff and boasts an extensive fleet of 45 vehicles, transporting chilled and frozen goods all over Europe.
When lucrative contracts had to be turned away due to a lack of refrigerated storage space, RDS Ltd invested in the purchase of an existing transport yard and warehousing at Shireoaks, Worksop
![RDS Loading [1184x724]](/write/RDS_Loading_[1184x724].jpg "RDS Loading [1184x724]")
RDS Ltd received an £81,000 UI4G Grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
Simon Herberts, Operations Manager at RDS Ltd, said: “We identified and bought the perfect site for expansion, and the grant we received from D2N2 enabled us to build a whole new chiller room and freezer.
“The increased space and capacity has made all the difference. Every morning deliveries are out on time, loaders at night can better manage goods in and out, and the efficiencies are phenomenal.”
The £81,000 grant was given through D2N2’s Unlocking Investment for Growth (UI4G) programme. It has been supported by the Regional Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. UI4G grant awards are given by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Investment Panel, chaired by Board Member Peter Gadsby. The aim of the fund is to create long term sustainable jobs.
RDS Ltd’s installation of chilled, frozen and ambient storage areas with over five times the capacity of its previous facilities has enabled it to win larger contracts from its existing customer base.
With an average increase of 40 more deliveries per day since the expansion, more staff have been recruited.
Fourteen jobs have already been created across the business including drivers, loaders, yard staff and valets. The firm is currently recruiting for a head mechanic and is looking to introduce a position to proactively develop sales in new sectors. It is anticipated that a further 11 jobs will be created over the next 12 months.
Mr Herberts added: “The grant has also helped us to free up our own money to invest in training. We’ve already upskilled five of our drivers to the next class of licence. It’s vital that we develop the team to meet the needs of the business in the future.”
David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “It’s wonderful to see such an impact on growth and jobs over a relatively short period of time. RDS Ltd are now in a strong position to capitalise further on their increased capacity and we are delighted to have been able to support their plans.”
UI4G is now fully committed and is no longer accepting applications. Grants already approved will create over 400 new jobs and safeguard a further 350. The programme has inspired business owners in the D2N2 area to invest over £20million, alongside the grant support, to grow their businesses.
For further information about RDS Ltd see its website at www.rdstransport.co.uk/index.php
More information on D2N2’s UI4G programme can be found at www.d2n2lep.org/UI4G
For media enquiries on this news release call D2N2 Communications Officer Sean Kirby on 01159 578749 or email sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
