R D Johns announce the construction of a new HQ and distribution centre

R D Johns to construct a new Head Quarters and distribution centre in Newton Abbot.

R D Johns Foodservice – an award-winning food wholesaler and catering butchery – has appointed Pentadel Project Management to design and deliver a purpose-built headquarters and distribution centre near Newton Abbot, Devon.

The four-acre site with a completed building of 40,000 square feet – spread across three floors – will comprise frozen, chilled and ambient storage, as well as progressive office and welfare spaces for R D Johns’ growing team to enjoy.  The project is currently in construction and on track to be operational by the end of the year.

R D Johns has been trading for more than 50 years and has grown to be a leading foodservice provider and proud local employer.  The company now stocks more than 5,000 product lines which are available for next day delivery to hospitality venues, schools, colleges and universities, and care homes throughout the West Country. 

R D Johns sees opportunity for managed, sustainable future growth. It is this commitment that has led to its partnership with Pentadel, a consultancy renowned for its unique people- and planet-centric design approach, to develop a facility that it is sure will not just provide for a happy, healthy workplace, but which will enable the business to continue to grow. 

The new facility and investment will provide for the continued expansion of the business, and employment for an additional 30 people, bringing the total employed by R D Johns to 250.

Features both R D Johns and Pentadel are proud of include:

• • The building has been designed with solar passive design strategies in mind; roof lights and windows are placed to carefully balance the need to maximise daylight and reduce reliance on artificial light sources whilst reducing excessive solar gains.
  • Rainwater will be harvested via a dedicated tank, providing for all sanitary needs.
  • The welfare of the team has been at the forefront of the design, with a café and future outdoor terrace providing healthy break spaces. 
  • Careful consideration has also been given to R D Johns’ teams’ journey to work; bike stands will provide storage for 30 bicycles, and infrastructure will be installed to cater for up to 70% of the facility’s domestic parking spaces to provide EV charging. 
  • Furthermore, the building has been designed with the long-term use and re-use of materials in mind; metal stud partitions will be used throughout the internal offices, enabling for full recycle and reuse of existing materials in the event of future alterations.

Construction is currently underway and due to be completed in December 2022. Pentadel is working closely with Go Green and select local refuse partners to ensure that the environmental impact of construction works will be carefully mitigated.  The explicit aim is for nothing from site to go to landfill; any waste that cannot be recycled will be converted to energy to power homes.

“Working alongside Pentadel to design this new facility has been an exciting journey,” commented Andrew Johns, managing director at R D Johns. “The team took the time to understand our challenges, our ambitions and – crucially – our values. The resultant design is one that proudly espouses those values, and which is going to support our future growth.”

“We love working with clients who want to create happy, healthy industrial workplaces,” said James Kemp, managing director of Pentadel. “This project is going to be a great example of our design philosophy and of all the principles we hold dear – we hope the R D Johns team will love working there, that the community will be proud of this local business’ efforts to create a positive addition to the area, and that other businesses in future will be inspired to create facilities that are better for people and the planet.”