W.E.Dowds Ltd is a private family owned business founded in 1960, which from its inception handled general cargoes such as fertiliser, animal feed, timber, minerals, aluminium, and steel from its riverside wharf in Newport. In 1989 the company transferred its business into the North dock at Newport, agreeing a long-term contract with Associated British Ports Plc.

Having made a strategic decision to concentrate on the handling of steel products the business expanded and the company built two new warehouses in the North Dock and then opened a Deep Sea terminal, with associated warehousing, in the South Dock.

The decision concentrate on the handling of steel products in each of the 7 warehouses meant that each unit needed to be equipped with internal gantry cranes and also linked in a high-speed data wireless network with the main offices. This project was completed in each warehouse during 2001 and the most recent warehouse, which was opened in August 2005, has the facility to load/discharge up to 18 rail wagons inside the facility allowing Dowds to supplement road haulage with deliveries directly to the dock rail network

In 2005, W.E Dowds was pleased to conclude a new long term agreement with our partners Associated British Ports and this in turn enabled us to agree an additional 2 Acres of hard surface area for the external storage of steel products on the dock.