A STORAGE and distribution firm, whose wagons ensure millions of people have food on their table every day, is extending its vast headquarters to take on more work.

The Reed Boardall Group will build a 110,000sq ft extension to expand a cold store.

The company runs a 55-acre site off the A1(M) at Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, which is the largest of its kind in Europe and is used to hold and transport goods for supermarket chiller cabinets and freezers.

The business, which has its roots in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, already has space for 142,000 pallets.

However, bosses say they have now secured approval for the extension, which they believe will allow it to store an extra 30,000 pallets of stock.

Keith Boardall, chief executive, said the move will put the company in a strong place as it seeks to meet both customers demand and changes to the supply chain.

He said: “We are constantly looking ahead and believe it’s important to be able to take advantage of market opportunities by being able to respond swiftly to our customers’ changing needs.

“Planning processes tend to be fairly lengthy and with demand for our services continuing to grow, we know it is only a matter of time until we will need to expand our facilities further.

“With major changes in the supply chain expected, we are in a strong position to adapt our operations in line with customer requirements, whether this means increasing our cold storage capacity or adding ancillary services.”

The company employs hundreds of workers and operates a 180-strong fleet of vehicles, which are used to haul thousands of pallets every day, with its stores holding about £100m worth of products for customers.

Last month, The Northern Echo reported how higher volumes of supermarket freezer stock had helped Reed Boardall drive up sales.

According to its latest results, annual revenues lifted to nearly £66m after average storage levels increased to 89 per cent.