Logistics Group Expands Contract Packing Capability

DUBAI – GAC, a freight specialist which transferred headquarters from Kuwait to Dubai with the development of the logistics business has prospered there ever since and now has announced further expansion with the news it has opened a new dedicated co-packing facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) as part of the company’s continued investment and growth strategy. Contract Packing, or co-packing, means goods are not only packed for shipment or retail, but often produced by the 3PL company offering the service.

In 1993, GAC pioneered contract logistics services in the Middle East by opening the region’s first distribution centre in Dubai. Today, the 103,000 m² GAC Logistics Park in JAFZA is still one of the largest and most advanced in the region comprising of 54,000 m² of warehousing space and specialising in food, beverages and fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs). Neil McMaster, General Manager, Contract Logistics at GAC Dubai commented:

”The new facility allows the customisation requirements of our clients to be handled even more efficiently, and the extra capacity enables us to deliver more services and expand the important value addition sector of the contract logistics business.”

The new ground plus two-floor mezzanine adds 800 m² to the co-packing area, making 1,800 m² of space available for printing, labelling, kitting and product assembly services. The facility also includes two new temperature-controlled cleanrooms. GAC Dubai’s Managing Director, Stuart Bowie observed:

This latest move represents just one small step in our wider growth plans in Dubai. In the last 18 months we have invested in a dedicated warehouse for a long-term customer, The One, refurbished 24,000 pallets to a European food grade standard and implemented an energy-efficient district cooling plant and water recycling systems. We are currently in the final stages of contractor selection to build a new 72,900 pallet facility at Dubai World Central.”