17th Nov 2005 07:04
17 November 2005 Gist, BOC's distribution business, extends major food logistics contract with Marks & Spencer Gist, the logistics arm of The BOC Group, has extended its contract with Marks& Spencer to manage the distribution of the retailer's chilled and ambient foodin the UK until 2011, confirming it as one of the largest food distributioncontracts in the UK.The partnership between M&S and Gist started in 1970. Gist now delivers toaround 420 M&S stores as far apart as Inverness and Falmouth. Among theproducts it delivers are over 100 million sandwiches every year and 6,500tonnes of loose bananas. Gist already has six distribution centres dedicated toM&S and is adapting an existing site at Thornbury near Bristol to accommodatethe growth in M&S's food business.Ian Mumby, Marks & Spencer's Head of Food Supply Chain, said: "This contractextension builds on our existing relationship with Gist. It will allow us todrive further improvements in service and efficiency within the food supplychain, as we continue to grow our food business."Martin Gwynn, managing director of Gist, said: "For thirty five years Gist hasbeen a partner in the growth of Marks & Spencer's food business. We havealready built one of the world's most sophisticated logistics operations toserve them and the assurance of this valuable long-term contract means that wecan continue to develop it further."Contact: Christopher Marsay, Director - Investor Relations Tel: 01276 477222 (International +44 1276 477222) ENDBOC GROUP PLCRelated Shares:
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