Hagemeyer
The group, which distributes electrical, safety and maintenance equipment to business customers, is hoping to return to the black after it made losses of €164m (£114m) in 2004. The UK division made underlying losses of £48m, compared with £76m a year earlier.
Hagemeyer said Britain remained its "biggest turnaround challenge", despite sales growing 4.6% on an organic basis during the last year.
Growth slowed to 2.4% in the fourth quarter owing to disruption as Hagemeyer began the switch to regional distribution centres.
It made the change after the national warehouse at Runcorn failed to meet expectations and required temporary staff to ensure customer service levels at Newey & Eyre were met.
Hagemeyer, which employs 4,500 people in Britain, said it hoped the new logistics arrangements would enable it to better serve Newey & Eyre's 175 branches, including numerous outlets in the north west.
The new centres are likely to create 180 jobs across the country, while Hagemeyer said it hoped to relocate as many of the Runcorn jobs as possible. The centre is to close in September.
Rod Stoyel, a turnaround specialist who was appointed UK chief executive in January, said: "Electrical wholesaling distribution is all about having stock in branches and available to our customers.
"This new logistics model will enable us to provide the level of service that our customers require."
Newey & Eyre, which has its headquarters in Birmingham, was established in 1926