A giant regional floorcoverings distribution centre has opened in Ipswich.

Ipswich Star: Underlay in racking at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAMUnderlay in racking at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAM (Image: headlam)

Headlam Group’s 100-strong workforce – which were based at nearby Hadleigh – have moved into their new 190,000sq ft home in Harris Way.

The project – which cost £26m – means that long-established firms Faithfull and Garrods will have a state-of-the-art facility which is around twice the size of their previous premises.

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Catherine Miles, head of communications at Headlam, said the group hoped to be taking on more staff as the business grows.

Ipswich Star: Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAMHeadlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAM (Image: headlam)

“We want to create growth capacity and provide a better service to customers,” she said. It also wanted to ramp up operations and create new jobs, she added.

The centre, which is now operational, has an eaves height of almost 56ft, 10.6 million cubic feet of capacity and substantial new warehousing, 30,000 rolls warehousing capacity, 9,000 pallet locations, two cutting tables able to do a combined 100 cuts per hour, a sortation unit with capacity to hold 2,500 cut length pieces at any one time, and a large trade counter.

The warehouse, built on a brownfield site, uses solar panels and other energy efficient technologies.

The larger Faithfulls business, which had been based in Hadleigh since 1955, has become a leading flooring distributor in the south east of England and provides next-day delivery to homes and businesses.

Ipswich Star: Contract flooring in racking at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAMContract flooring in racking at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAM (Image: headlam)

Ipswich Star: Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAMHeadlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAM (Image: headlam)

Ipswich Star: The sortation system and loadin bay at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAMThe sortation system and loadin bay at Headlam Group's new centre in Harris Way, Ipswich Picture: HEADLAM (Image: headlam)