Consolidating together the Connections packaged plumbing and Primaflow teams, the centre will employ a total of 100 staff, including new hires from the local area. Additional capacity to hold stock ‘buy-ins’ will improve stock range and availability to customers nationwide.

Primaflow’s operations director, John Peck, says: “This new high-tech facility enables us to enhance our customer proposition significantly, from end to end. Cutting-edge technology, including handheld terminals and printers, will ensure precision accuracy in terms of order fulfilment, picking and despatch, whilst the increased capacity enables us to strengthen our product range further, to suit customers’ evolving needs.”

The Primaflow operation will now have 11,000 product locations available, with a 30 per cent increase in pallet locations, including bulk palletising and pallet picking, creating space for future growth.

The new facility follows on from the opening of the wholesaler’s 100,000 square foot Bedford distribution warehouse, which – along with a Wakefield-based hub – houses the wholesaler’s plumbing, heating and bathroom range. Products from all sectors of the business are available for delivery next working day across the UK, carried exclusively by Primaflow F&P’s dedicated fleet of drivers.

Mr Peck concluded: “Our investment will help us explore new technologies and create innovative ways to deliver the best available plumbing, heating and bathroom products to our customers.”