Active Ants opens distribution center in the UK

Dutch fulfillment company Active Ants has announced that it is opening its fifth distribution center in September. After two sites in the Netherlands and an expansion to Belgium and Germany, the company will now take on England. “Coming to Northampton will allow us to increase our presence. Ultimately, we want to become the best fulfillment company in Europe”, says co-founder Jeroen Dekker.

The expansion to the UK is a strategic one. The fulfillment company believes that ecommerce in the UK is one of the most exciting markets right now. Additionally, Northampton is centrally located. “It is the center of ecommerce logistics in the United Kingdom”, says Dekker.

‘Northampton ideal location for fulfillment’

According to him, this combination makes Northampton the perfect location for fulfillment activities. “We will be located nearby our customers and we have good connections with last mile distributors.” In the search for a new location, it was also important to the company that sustainable and automated work can be done on the site.

Just like at the company’s other sites, activities such as storage, order picking, packaging and sorting are automated. Employees work alongside robots during order picking, which is how Active Ants was able to set itself apart from competitors six years ago. Receiving goods and processing returns is carried out manually.

‘Custom printed box accessible to everyone.’

The site in Northampton will also use the sealing machine with a built-in printer. Dekker explains that this means that every online retailer can get their own custom printed box. Another advantage is the fact that it is no longer necessary to keep pre-printed boxes in stock. “This saves our customers costs and also ensures a lower footprint.”

Strong focus on international expansion

It is no secret that Active Ants is increasingly focusing on international customers. With over five million orders per year, the company is already one of the larger fulfillment companies in the Netherlands. It has the same objective in the rest of Europe, for which it has been optimizing its cross-border activities for several years. “Through local branches we can serve consumers in the fastest and most efficient way that we can.”