DELIVERY company Whistl is the latest major international company moving into Bolton, creating at least 100 jobs for local people.

The firm, the second largest postal delivery company in the UK, will be moving its northern operations into a new super depot at the Logistics North development in late spring.

Recruitment will run throughout next month, with 45 warehousing positions to be saved for long-term unemployed people from Bolton, as well as Salford and Wigan.

It will bring the running total of jobs at the Logistics North site to 2,200.

A total of 500 jobs will be created at the 224,938 sq ft warehouse, with at least 100 vacancies earmarked for people in the local area.

The site in Over Hulton, on which the company has taken a 10-year lease, will replace Whistl’s existing operations in Leeds and Warrington.

Nick Wells, CEO of Whistl, said: “We are delighted to confirm that we are investing in this grade A facility at Logistics North in Bolton. The new depot will enable us to provide an excellent working environment for our colleagues as well enable us to continue providing high quality and efficient services to our customers.

“We look forward to working with Bolton Council on recruiting people to work at Whistl in the coming months.”

Whistl follows Lidl, Aldi, MBDA, and other major employers in setting up at the Logistics North site, which is owned by the Harworth Group and will now employ around 2,200 people in total.

The exact number of jobs, including vacancies for warehouse operatives, drivers, and sales and marketing posts, which will be available to Bolton workers will depend on how many existing Whistl staff choose to transfer from Leeds and Warrington.

Whistl will recruit people to the depot in conjunction with the Team Bolton partnership, a collaboration of work and skills providers who help get local people into employment.

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, said: “This is great news for local people and will be of tremendous benefit to our town and residents. I am proud that our hard work behind the scenes has paid off as Whistl joins the likes of Lidl, Aldi, MBDA and Joy Global, bringing at least 100 new jobs and additional revenue into the borough.

“This clearly demonstrates that Logistics North is the perfect distribution site for business and a key site for the North West. With another major company due to be announced soon, it is clear that Bolton is an attractive proposition for business growth.”

The firm, formerly TNT Post UK, says that it chose to move to Bolton because of the site’s capacity for expansion, to improve efficiency by combining its two existing depots into one, and because of the immediate access on to the M61.

Ian Ball, executive director of capital growth at Harworth Group plc, said: “Logistics North has established itself as one of the North of England’s leading distribution locations and we are delighted to welcome another leading company like Whistl to take occupancy of Logistics 225 within six weeks of us completing it on M&G’s behalf.

“Whistl’s arrival at Logistics North further proves the site’s strategic importance to distribution companies and the underlying strength of the Logistics market in the North West.

“We now look forward to letting M&G’s other Logistics 175 unit as one of the few remaining Grade A rated distribution warehouses available in the North West.”