Arco, the UK’s leading supplier of safety clothing and equipment, has won a major design award for its state-of-the-art national distribution centre (NDC) in Hull.
The flagship NDC triumphed in the Design Excellence category of the Hull Daily Mail’s British Business Awards.
Harold Hardcastle, Arco’s Divisional Director, Estates, said: “The standard of competition this year was very high so it is particularly pleasing to win this award.
“It’s a credit to the Martin family, who had the vision to create the concept of the NDC, and also to the building design team. They worked with contractors and suppliers to construct a flexible and innovative building.”
The award-winning NDC, with its electric blue structure, is an eye-catching and well-known landmark on the A63 gateway to Hull. Inside, the column-free floor space allows for modification to the NDC accommodate Arco’s changing needs.
The 17.5 acre site on Hull’s Priory Park Estate reflects Arco’s commitment to environmental protection. It includes a dedicated conservation area with reed beds and wildlife ponds and incorporates grey water recycling.
Joint Managing Director, Thomas Martin said: “We do not pretend to have created the perfect national distribution centre, but we have pushed the design boundaries forward by creating an innovative design, meeting the challenges head on and discovering better and more imaginative solutions by truly pioneering and leading in our field. “
Family-owned Arco is a market leader in the supply of personal protective clothing, footwear, gloves and workplace safety products. It employs more than 1,700 people in its head office in Hull, the NDC and 25 branches throughout the UK.
The company also reached the finals of the e-Business category of the awards. Five years ago Arco began a major programme of investment and development to provide leading edge e-business capabilities.
As a result, web-based sales have grown ten-fold in the past two years and account for more than 10 per cent of Arco’s £200m turnover. More than 18,000 web orders are now received each month. These orders can be processed and picked within seconds of customers reading the web message thanking them for placing their order.
