THE Bury depot of a leading distribution company is to benefit from a share of a multi-million-pound investment.

United Carriers, the express parcel and freight company, will receive a nation-wide boost of £3.4 million.

It is now planned to spend £2.9 million on purchasing new vehicles, and a further £500,000 on upgrading the existing United Carriers fleet.

For Bury, this will mean 16 new collection and delivery vehicles at the depot at Roach Bank Farm Industrial Estate, Pilsworth, as well as providing access to 35 trailers from within the national network. For the company as a whole, it means that within the next month there will be more than 186 new vehicles on the roads across the UK, including rigid vehicles, tractor units and semi-trailers. It will, as such, give the company the infrastructure to be one of the biggest operations in Britain.

The investment is supported by United Carriers' new parent company, the Geodis Group - a leading pan-European logistics and distribution service provider.

With a further £5 million investment planned for the rest of the year, United Carriers is set to have its entire powered fleet under five years of age by mid-2000.

Russell Hodgson, group managing director of United Carriers, said: "Our aim is to become a market leader in the UK by offering a large range of high quality distribution services, alongside strong customer service.

"Maintaining a modern, reliable fleet is the key."

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