New wholesaler coming to town

By Paul Geater

ALMOST 150 new jobs could be created in Ipswich if a new cash and carry warehouse is built on the Ransomes Europark industrial estate.

The new warehouse, to be operated by Makro Self-Service Wholesalers Ltd., would be built on land behind the Pik a Pak factory and Notcutts.

The warehouse, which sould be open for trade business only, would employ 144 full-time staff.

The building would have a total floor area of 10,430 square metres, and externally would be 120 metres by 82 metres.

The application is also for 424 parking spaces.

Members of Ipswich Council's development control committee are to discuss the proposal at their meeting on Wednesday.

Chief planning officer Mike Smith said there would be no objections in principle to the application – but the authority was seeking assurances about the nature of the business.

"We need to be sure that it is a wholesale, rather than retail, operation – and will need to know what action the company takes to enforce that.

"But providing we can get those assurances, there would be no objection to the proposal – that land is earmarked for employment use," he said.

The application would bring into use another parcel of land earmarked for part of the Ransomes Europark industrial estate – and it would sort out drainage problems in the area.

Makro is a German-based wholesale cash and carry business whose British base is in Manchester.

It supplies food and non-food items to independent stores, caterers, and other other retail outlets.

Its stores are not open to the general public – only those with a special photocard can shop there.

Makro Fastfacts

Company founded in 1971.

Taken over by German wholesaler Metro in 1998.

28 wholesale stores throught Britain – 29th due to open in Norwich soon.

Turnover last year topped £1 billion.

Weblink: www.makro.co.uk