One of Kent’s leading freight companies has opened a new £3 million distribution hub in Sittingbourne.

The Salvatori Group has recruited 45 new drivers and 18 warehouse staff for the site which will operate for 24-hours-day, six days a week.

The state-of-the-art, energy-efficient custom-built premises in Swale Way on the Eurolink Industrial Estate will take over pallet work currently handled by depots in Aylesham near Canterbury and Medway.

It includes 1,500 square metres of racked storage and 1,800 pallet spaces as well as internal and external storage space.

The company, which employs a staff of 150, also has a depot in Calais, France and is part of the Palletways network, transporting around 1,200 pallets a week.

Daniel Salvatori, the group’s chief executive officer, said: “This is a significant investment for the Salvatori Group and will create fantastic new opportunities for us.

“The facilities and storage space will help to focus our Palletways’ operation and improve the speed and delivery of our services to our customers and partners within the network.”

Rob Gittins, managing director of Palletways UK, said: “Salvatori makes a significant contribution to the strength of Palletways. We’re confident the new Sittingbourne premises, dedicated to its Palletways business, will enable them to become more successful within our network.”

Salvatori also provides temperature-controlled storage, palletised storage, heavy haulage on flat-trailers and tautliners, freight forwarding, commercial workshop and fruit crate sales.

It is one of 114 independent transport providers which are part of the Palletways UK network working across 20 European countries.

The company, which has been going for 80 years, is based on a £5.5 million complex at Aylesham near the A2 at Canterbury.

Swale is fast becoming Kent's leading area for lorries. Morrisons already has its south east distribution based at Sittingbourne and Aldi is due to open its own distribution centre on Sheppey in the next few months.

The sites are near the busy Sheerness Docks and major improvement work is planned for the Stockbury Roundabout junction between the A249 and M2.