With its long-term focus firmly on the timber trade, the Port of Shoreham has completed a £1m investment to increase shed capacity.
Shed 10, constructed on Brighton Terminal, has been designed to facilitate easy access and optimum speed of discharge.
The additional 6,000m2 of covered storage was completed ahead of schedule and received its first consignment of Russian timber at the end of July.
Valerie Stringer, the port’s commercial manager, said: “In the early part of the year we saw an increase in kiln-dried and other timbers that customers were wanting undercover. In our existing sheds there was not enough space to cope with what the trade needed.”
She said customers increasingly wanted products undercover so they would ultimately look better on the shop shelf.
The outer lay-by shed has also been extended to provide a further 2000m2 of covered space. This berth predominantly accommodates larger vessels bringing sawn timber from throughout northern Europe.
Meanwhile, Sussex Port Forwarding (the port’s wholly-owned stevedoring company) has launched the Track-a-Pack system, a stock control method using bar code and radio frequency technology to monitor stock movements throughout the port.
The technology, which went live last month, allows receivers to view up-to-date stock information for just-in-time deliveries.
Tangible internal benefits already gained include improved identification of stock on discharge and faster turnaround on lorry movements.
