Tuffnells Sheffield: Delivery group DX will reopen former parcel firm depot in Meadowhall

A delivery group has reached a deal to take over the Sheffield depot of former historic parcel firm Tuffnells.

The parcel giant, headquartered in Meadowhall Business Park on Carbrook Hall Road, went under on June 12, with up to 2,200 employees across its 33 UK depots made redundant. Just 128 members of staff remained after the collapse.

Many in the Steel City mourned the loss of the firm and its iconic green delivery trucks, bringing an end to a 100-year-old company serving more than 4,000 businesses across 167 countries.

Now, delivery firm DX has announced it has reached an agreement to reopen and move into 15 former Tuffnells sites, including the depot in Sheffield.

Beginning with the return of a depot in Newport, Wales, 15 former Tuffnell Express Ltd sites will be brought back into operation as DX after standing empty since June.

The depot will support the operations of the Group’s DX Freight division, which specialises in the delivery of irregular dimension and weight items. It will support the increase in volumes that DX has taken on, including former customers of Tuffnells.

The timeline of when the Sheffield depot will be back up and running is not confirmed, but the rollout is expected to be complete in 18 months.

Paul Ibbetson, CEO of DX (Group) plc said: “We are very pleased to have integrated the first of the 15 former Tuffnells depots into our network.

"The job of bringing the other Tuffnells sites onboard is well underway and will support our overall growth plans and drive gains on multiple fronts, including customer service levels, environmental benefits and deliver enhanced margins. We look forward to announcing further depot openings over the coming months.”

Tuffnells collapse came after it was sold into independent ownership in 2020 for £15m. The firm was severely affected by Covid-19, rising costs, and increased competition.

However, in July, logistics group Shift bought the Tuffnells brand and is now and is now working to revive the company and put the big green machines back on the road.

Speaking in June, managing director Richard Harrison of administrators Interpath Advisory said: "Unfortunately, the highly competitive nature of the UK parcel delivery market, coupled with significant inflation across the company's fixed cost base in recent times, has resulted in the company experiencing intense pressure on cashflow."

Editor's note: This story has been reworded to make it clear that DX is taking over the depots using their own branding, rather than reopening them as Tuffnells. Additionally, a previous version of this story said DX would take over Tuffnell's Sheffield headquarters, which the firm incorrectly communicated. They are taking over the depot instead. The story has been updated to reflect this.