13/05/2003

ASDA announce 1,200 job boost in UK

ASDA has unveiled plans for a £200 million investment in its UK distribution network that will lead to 1,200 new jobs.

The supermarket retail giant has announced plans to refurbish existing depots and create new facilities in several areas in Scotland and England.

As part of the Wal-Mart group of companies ASDA is to benefit from leading edge technology to help ensure a revolution in the company’s distribution network.

A new centre to be built in Lutterworth in Leicestershire will become the national distribution centre for ASDA operations. The centre will employ around 500 people. The company also announced that 400 new jobs are to be created in its Grangemouth depot, 200 more in a proposed new depot in Falkirk, and 100 at new recycling sites in Wakefield and Wigan. And 500 workers will transfer from Wigan to a new depot to be built in Skelmersdale later this year.

ASDA currently employs around 120,000 people in the UK at its 260 retail stores, depots and service centres.

The company, with backing from US giant Wal-Mart, is viewed as one of the top bidders for supermarket chain Safeway.

In 1999 Wal-Mart took over ASDA’s UK stores in an agreed offer of £6.7 billion squeezing out a rival bid from the then lead bidder the Kingfisher.

(SP)

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

10 February 2015
Purepipe To Invest £250,000 And Create Six New Jobs
Belfast-based Purepipe is investing £250,000 and creating six new jobs as part of plans to boost sales in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Invest Northern Ireland has offered the company £45,000 towards its expansion which involves investing in new state-of-the-art specialised pipe manufacturing equipment needed to target new business.
14 November 2008
Republic's Minister Welcomes Subway Jobs Boost
Irish Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan has welcomed Subway's decision to significantly increase its operations across Ireland The development will be over the next two years - a move that is expected to create 1,300 new jobs.
30 January 2002
Sainsbury reveal recruitment drive in retail expansion
Sainsbury's has announced an expansion programme which will see the supermarket chain take on 10,000 new employees during 2002.
09 September 2019
16 Jobs Created As Armagh Firm Expands Operations
Some 16 jobs will be created at an Armagh manufacturing firm as it opens a new premises to support market growth. AW Control Systems Ltd specialises in the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of Automated Control Systems.
07 June 2018
CGDM To Develop New Office Premises
CGDM Construction in Newry is to invest over £500,000 to develop new office premises at Carnbane Business Park. The firm is also creating 10 new jobs with the support of Invest Northern Ireland. Invest NI has offered the company £74,000 of support towards the creation of the new jobs and marketing activities.