Middlesbrough freight logistics firm AV Dawson has signed a multi-million pound deal with a major blue-chip manufacturer, securing new business and jobs in Teesside.
AV Dawson has won a contract with British Gypsum, the UK’s market leader for plaster and plasterboard products, to import materials through its site in Middlesbrough.
British Gypsum, part of the global Saint Gobain group, is importing a product which is used to make plaster and plasterboard, through AV Dawson’s Teesside freight terminal, based on Riverside Park in Middlesbrough.
The long term contract takes advantage of the company’s full multimodal logistics offer; with the product arriving by ship at AV Dawson’s berth for unloading into storage, before being loaded into trains for daily deliveries to the East Midlands area.
The new agreement will mean ten new jobs at AV Dawson and over £2 million investment in new facilities and plant equipment. A new £1m purpose-built canopy , based on the southern end of the firm’s site will be used to store the product. A direct rail link will enter the canopy, allowing for the product to be loaded directly onto trains, without adverse weather contitions hampering operations and keeping the product dry to reduce the amount of energy required to remove moisture from the product when it arrives at the factory.
Gary Dawson, AV Dawson managing director said: “We’re thrilled to bring a big hitter such as British Gypsum to the Tees. This is a major new contract for our business and represents a significant increase in the number of ships and trains coming into our site.
“Using both our port and rail facilities really makes the most of the capabilities of our terminal. Our ships agency, Cockfield Knight, which is part of the AV Dawson group, has also supported the operation, enabling us to provide a very comprehensive service offering. With the addition of the new rail canopy, which we’ve invested in to provide British Gypsum with a purpose-built storage and loading solution, we have developed an environmentally efficient solution that enables our customer to reduce its energy and CO2.
“This new contract will create new jobs at AV Dawson and help secure the future for over 200 existing employees. It also represents a significant leap forward for our longer term strategy to expand our operations in the aggregates and minerals sector.”
Kevin Flinton, Saint Gobain’s senior procurement manager said: “We awarded this new contract to AV Dawson because of the flexible and environmentally efficient solution they’ve provided to our business. We also liked that the business was prepared to take a long term view; investing further in its facilities to ensure it could deliver the highest quality service for us.”
Photo Caption: Construction begins on £1m rail canopy at AV Dawson’s freight terminal in Middlesbrough to support new contract with British Gypsum. (Image: 4975)