A FORMER Tuffnells depot in Haydock is among a number that have reopened after being bought by administrators from delivery firm DX Group.

The Slough-based company struck a deal to rescue 15 Tuffnells Parcels Express sites and 250 staff in June.

Sheffield-based Tuffnells hired administrators from Interpath Advisory after it saw intensified pressure on its cash flow and failed in efforts to secure emergency funding.

The majority of Tuffnells’ 2,200 employees, working across its 33 UK depots, were made redundant as a result.

DX said 12 sites in total have now restarted operations since the rescue deal.

It said this includes four freight depots in new locations for the business – in Andover, Hampshire; Haydock, Merseyside; Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire; and Lockerbie, in south-west Scotland.

DX said the ex-Tuffnells site located on a 3.3 acre site in the Yew Tree trading estate in Haydock is a major new regional hub.

The hub will serve the group’s Freight division, and in particular its IDW (irregular dimension and weight) delivery services.

The new site, with convenient access to both the M6 and M62 motorways, has a purpose-built 19,644 sq ft cross dock warehouse and capacity for 52 trailers. There is also a two-storey office building to the front of the site.

Meanwhile, the other six new depots will replace existing sites and are located in Carnforth, Lancashire; Crawley, West Sussex; Dewsbury and Leeds, both in West Yorkshire; Northampton, Northamptonshire; and Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

DX chief executive Paul Ibbetson said: “These openings substantially increase our freight capability across the country, from the South of England, through the Midlands, Yorkshire, and into Scotland.

“They will provide the additional capacity we need to handle the volume growth that we are experiencing.

“They will also support our drive for further efficiencies, environmental and customer service benefits.

“Developing the depot network is a key component in delivering our continued growth plans, and we expect to be able to report on further openings over the coming months.”