The Brief

Nature’s Way Foods is one of the UK’s leading fresh prepared food manufacturers, operating across four sites in West Sussex and producing fresh salads and other prepared foods for major retailers and foodservice customers.

Having worked with Nature’s Way Foods since 2019, Tekta was approached in 2025 to assess eight deteriorating loading bays at the company’s Runcton facility. The existing bays featured inflatable dock shelters that were susceptible to tearing if not fully deflated before an HGV departed. Several bays had deteriorated to the point of being completely out of operation.

With Nature’s Way operating around the clock, unavailable loading bays could significantly affect its loading and distribution activities. The company required a replacement solution that would reduce maintenance requirements, accommodate both single-deck and double-deck trailers, and support reliable day-to-day operation.

Crucially, the eight loading bays needed to be replaced within a live operational environment, making it essential to minimise disruption and maintain sufficient loading capacity throughout the project.

Our Solution

Tekta recommended replacing the existing inflatable shelters with lower-maintenance retractable dock shelters, retaining the required protection around docked vehicles while removing the need for inflation and deflation. The new systems were also adapted where required to accommodate double-deck trailers alongside conventional single-deck vehicles.

Tekta delivered a complete loading bay replacement package, valued over £50,000, comprising:

  • 8 Rollashield Isodor sectional doors: Insulated industrial doors providing reliable access between the loading bays and the facility.
  • 8 Prodok Ultra  telescopic dock levellers: Supporting loading and unloading operations, with the upgraded loading bay systems designed to accommodate the site’s trailer requirements.
  • 8 retractable Prodok dock shelters: Replacing the existing inflatable shelters with a lower-maintenance alternative that provides protection around docked vehicles.
  • 8 corner pads: Providing additional protection around the loading bay openings.

Installation Within a Live Operational Environment

Completed over two months in early 2026, the project was delivered by a five-person engineering team, supported by a dedicated Project Manager and Project Coordinator who oversaw the works from start to finish.

To minimise disruption to Nature’s Way’s 24/7 operations, Tekta adopted a phased installation approach, completing one loading bay at a time before moving on to the next. Each bay was completed within project timelines, ensuring that seven of the eight loading bays remained operational throughout the replacement programme.

This carefully coordinated approach allowed Tekta to replace the deteriorating equipment while maintaining the loading capacity required to support the facility’s ongoing activities.

Following installation, the completed loading bays were handed over to Tekta’s servicing team for ongoing maintenance and support, helping protect the new assets and support their long-term reliability.

The completed project provides Nature’s Way Foods with eight upgraded loading bays, accommodating both single-deck and double-deck trailers, addressing the maintenance challenges associated with the previous inflatable shelters and supporting continued loading and distribution operations.

See the Nature's Way Loading Bay Project

See how Tekta upgraded eight loading bays at Nature’s Way Foods’ Runcton facility, replacing deteriorating equipment with lower-maintenance solutions while keeping seven bays operational throughout the installation.

 

Supporting Nature's Way Foods Since 2019

Tekta’s relationship with Nature’s Way Foods began in 2019, when the company appointed Tekta to support its industrial door repair and servicing requirements.

Since then, Tekta has provided ongoing support across Nature’s Way’s four West Sussex sites in Runcton, Selsey, Drayton (including its mayonnaise production facility) and Merston. This includes planned maintenance and servicing, reactive call-outs, industrial door repairs and replacements, in addition to loading bay and industrial door projects.

The Runcton upgrade reflects Tekta’s approach to long-term customer relationships, combining specialist technical knowledge, dedicated project delivery and ongoing maintenance to help customers adapt their facilities to changing operational needs.