Adrian McGee
Manager Cold Store

I became the Cold Store Manager at Brierley Hill in 2015. Then, in 2023 I was appointed Cold Store Manager of Wrexham as well. It’s a long way from my first job here as a cleaner! I progressed through various roles such as forklift driver, Shift Leader, Supervisor, and Operations Manager. These experiences have not only honed my interpersonal skills but also enabled me to acquire extensive operational knowledge.

My trajectory shows that Thermotraffic offers ample opportunities for professional development, with the emphasis placed on motivation and your attitude towards work. The company is committed to nurturing talent and fostering professional growth. We are a people-oriented company and if you’re dedicated you can achieve anything here.

Expansion and growth

These are exciting times. The Wrexham site is undergoing a massive expansion that will double its capacity. So we are hiring more Cold Store Operatives and Forklift Drivers. They will join our existing team, which is highly motivated and experienced, with a mindset that elevates quality and Health & Safety on the work floor. The environment is fast-paced and you need to adapt to cold storage conditions, but it is very rewarding and everyone helps each other out.

Adding more value

The other main development right now is how we provide more value-added services such as tempering. There is a lot to learn but it’s going well. We recently and successfully uptempered 500 pallets of lamb at Brierley Hill successfully. Tempering is the process of raising or lowering the temperature of the meat so that it’s at the right temperature for the customer.

Even so, blast freezing is still central to our business and we import and export multiple loads every day. For instance, we receive shipments of chilled beef from South Africa, typically averaging 10 loads per day. Subsequently, these pallets are meticulously packed into refrigerated containers for export.

My main focus is the smooth running of the two sites I manage. But I’m in regular contact with colleagues from various areas of the business. We are always communicating with each other.

The future is bright for Thermotraffic. We are adding more capacity and capabilities, and working with a wider range of products. I would recommend the company to anyone.