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Tag: logistics

Briton joins pallet pioneers in Hall of Fame

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Briton Neil Humphrey (pictured) has been awarded the accolade of TRATON Logistics Leader of the Year 2022, while the pioneers of the pallet’s triumph in logistics have been inducted to the Logistics Hall of Fame.

Posthumously, George Raymond Sr. (1890-1967), founder of the American intralogistics solutions provider The Raymond Corporation and inventor of the double-faced wooden pallet, patented in 1939, will be inducted to the Logistics Hall of Fame. His pallet is considered the world’s first professional wooden pallet. Also inducted is Oliver Richter (1920-2014), an Australian who, as trade manager of Brambles in the 1960s, discovered the potential of a closed rental pool for load carriers and successfully established today’s Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool (CHEP) system as a closed rental pool internationally.

The UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer) was responsible for introducing the Euro pallet in 1961. Within the framework of a working group, the International Union of Railways promoted the standardization of pallets and obliged all signatories of an agreement to comply with the standards to manufacture as well as to repair the Euro pallet.

In the mid-1970s, the Gütegemeinschaft Paletten, today’s National Committee of EPAL, partially took over the distribution and quality assurance of the Euro pallet. The European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL), which was formed from this in 1991, has successfully developed the pool idea and ensured the quality of the Euro pallet. Both associations receive a place in the Hall of Fame on behalf of their networks behind.

“The invention of the pallet, and even more so the establishment of functioning pallet pools, is one of the greatest milestones in logistics, as significant as the container invented by Malcolm McLean. Without standardized pallet systems, high-performance logistics in the 21st century would be inconceivable,” says Anita Würmser, executive Jury Chairwoman of the Logistics Hall of Fame, explaining the decision of the jury.

After the introduction of pallets, the loading times of trucks and freight cars were reduced by up to 90%. The conveyor technology and shuttle systems in highly automated warehouses are all adapted to the 800 x 1200 x 144mm dimensions of the Euro pallet. Another advantage of the load carriers made of 11 planks, nine wooden blocks and 78 nails is that they can be repaired with low material costs and are fully recyclable at the end of their life cycle.

The pioneers of the pallet will be officially inducted to the Logistics Hall of Fame at a gala reception with German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Volker Wissing, on 29th November in the Wintergarten of the KaDeWe department store in Berlin.

Humphrey is Logistics Leader of the Year

The TRATON Logistics Leader of the Year Award will also be presented during the reception. This year, the trophy goes to Neil Humphrey, President, HAVI Supply Chain. The British manager is a committed leader of sustainable supply chain practices and digitalisation, an active networker and a tireless driver of digitalisation initiatives and pilot projects with new technologies.

The 58-year-old manager gained decades of experience in business management and supply chain with a strong focus on sustainability at Unilever and joined HAVI in 2017, where he has led the Supply

Chain Business Unit since 2018. Under his leadership, the company joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in 2019 – at the time as one of the first 10 supply chain service providers worldwide. HAVI committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2030 per tonne delivered. With the programme successfully underway and new global metrics established by the climate science community, HAVI is currently evaluating an increase in that goal.

Under Humphrey’s leadership, HAVI is also partnering with customers and suppliers to drive climate change action. For example, HAVI is helping leading foodservice brands to work toward ambitious emissions targets. It has also established a partnership with a commercial vehicle manufacturer to convert 70% of its European delivery fleet from diesel to alternative fuels; a target which was delivered upon in 2021.

In addition to supporting projects involving alternative fuels, green distribution centres or e-trucks, Humphrey and his team also have begun a hybrid truck pilot in Stockholm to roll out a carbon neutral hybrid truck solution across Europe. The trucks use their batteries to drive in the city, but use reprocessed frying oil as fuel outside the city. The used cooking oil is collected during deliveries to customer restaurants, reprocessed at a specialist facility, and eventually goes into the tanks of HAVI trucks – a perfect cycle.

The TRATON Logistics Leader of the Year Award recognises pacesetters and future leaders in logistics. It honours entrepreneurs and managers from the transport and logistics sector who have been particularly successful in promoting their companies or who have set a trend-setting impulse. The focus is on topicality and the benefits for the company as well as innovative strength, sustainability and entrepreneurial change. The award is presented by the Logistics Hall of Fame and donated by TRATON SE.

The decisive factor for acceptance as a member of the Logistics Hall of Fame, on the other hand, is that an achievement is not only beneficial to an individual company but has significantly and permanently advanced logistics beyond the boundaries of one’s own organisation or has become an industry standard. So far, 41 logisticians have made it into the international Hall of Fame.

The Logistics Hall of Fame was founded in 2003 and honours leading figures who have made outstanding efforts to promote the further development of logistics and supply chain management. This eternal pantheon is also designed to remind future generations of the achievements of these individuals in the service of logistics. The aim of the Logistics Hall of Fame is to act as a worldwide platform to publicise the performance capability of logistics and its importance for society.

The expert jury includes 70 well-known personalities from business, science, politics and the media in 13 nations. The UK media sector is represented by Logistics Business’ news editor Peter MacLeod.

The Logistics Hall of Fame is a non-profit initiative supported by the world of politics, associations, the logistics industry and logistics science. The patron is Dr. Volker Wissing, German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport.

 

GXO completes Clipper acquisition

Posted on by Keith McKinley

GXO Logistics, Inc., the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, has received regulatory clearance from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its acquisition of Clipper Logistics plc. On 24th May 2022, GXO completed its offer; however both companies continued to be run independently pending completion of the regulatory review.

GXO Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Wilson said: “GXO and Clipper are both industry leaders and together, we’re even stronger. As one company, we expect to accelerate growth by expanding our geographic presence in key markets and verticals, bolstering our roster of blue-chip customers and enhancing the breadth of innovative warehouse capabilities we provide.”

Prior to the acquisition, GXO operated more than 900 facilities globally totalling approximately 200m sq ft with 120,000 team members. With Clipper, GXO gains more than 50 sites, 10msq ft, 10,000 team members, and adds geographic presence in Germany and Poland, in the life sciences sector as well as expertise in premium services, including reverse logistics and repairs, which are key growth areas for GXO.

Wilson added: “We share a commitment to ESG, providing an exceptional customer experience and harnessing technology to improve efficiency, productivity and employee safety. Being a great fit culturally will underpin our future success and make for a seamless integration.”

GXO expects to realise significant productivity opportunities and cost synergies within two years from transaction close. The integration process will begin promptly and progress through the latter part of the year to ensure a successful holiday peak season for customers.

 

Warehouse operators seek to optimise operations

Posted on by David Priestman

A report written by VDC Research on behalf of terminal emulation leader StayLinked provides insight on evolving warehouse operations and operator optimisation priorities. Warehouse Operations 2022: Streamlining Technology Investment Time to Value and Overcoming New Technology Investment Challenges examines leading warehouse improvement initiatives. It also describes investment barriers to measuring the maturity of various technologies.

The data was gathered from 169 operations technology decision makers in North America, Europe and Asia. A survey focused on warehouse operations technology decision makers in retail, manufacturing, transportation/logistics, retail and wholesale organisations. VDC supplemented the survey-based research with in-depth interviews with leading warehouse technology investment decision makers and solution providers.

“The research was conducted to help warehouse organisations simplify and streamline testing and implement new solutions,” says StayLinked Chief Technology Officer Justin Griffith.

The timing of the research is important. Most warehouse operators, according to the VDC research, are facing significant increases in shipment volumes, number of SKUs managed, and overall inventory turns. Customer service requirements have increased as well. As a result, a greater percentage of products are picked by either the “each,” the “case,” or the “layer” in the modern warehouse.

“The respondents agree that optimising warehouse performance is critical,” Griffith says. “They are looking for new ways to improve on-time shipment and receipts.”

However, the results show many warehouses rely on manual paper-based processes. They also continue to bleed legacy assets that are not capable of addressing today’s needs. This has created an environment where many are supported by infrastructure that has not been updated for more than three years and formed a separation between warehouse operations leaders and laggards.

Another priority cited by business leaders is modernising infrastructures. Improving existing operations, they say, will give them greater agility to seamlessly test, evaluate and implement new technologies prior to making investment decisions.

The conclusions of the report reinforce the need for proven software platforms, including those supplied by StayLinked, to simplify deploying new and emerging technologies. These platforms also give operators ways to measure, monitor and deploy solutions without traditional rip-and-replace costs.

CLICK HERE to view the full report.

 

 

Garbe realises two locations for Picnic

Posted on by Keith McKinley

As part of a strategic partnership with Picnic GmbH, Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH is developing two new logistics properties for the online supermarket in Kaltenkirchen (pictured), north of Hamburg, and in Falkensee near Berlin.

“At both locations, we are creating a total of about 46,500 sq m of new space for Picnic, supporting the company’s growth,” says Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director of Garbe Industrial Real Estate. In 2018, the online supermarket was launched in Germany and initially focused on North Rhine-Westphalia. “We are now expanding to all regions in Germany,” confirms Frederic Knaudt from the founding team of Picnic Germany. “These include modern logistics centres and hundreds of last-mile properties.”

It was only in February that the Hamburg-based project developer acquired a 44,000 sq m brownfield site at Kaltenkirchen in the district of Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein and then extensively revitalised the area. The site is located in the Hamburg-Kiel-Lübeck city triangle, on the northern edge of the Hamburg metropolitan region. In just a few minutes, you can reach the A7 motorway, which connects Kaltenkirchen with Flensburg to the north and with Hamburg and Hanover to the south. There is also a direct connection to the public transport system.

A logistics property with a total area of 25,500 sq m will be built there by Garbe Industrial Real Estate and Graubner Holding GmbH in a joint venture. According to current plans, construction work is to begin in October. Completion is scheduled for July 2023. Together, the two joint venture partners are investing around €39m in the project.

The new building will be equipped with 24 dock levellers and four ground-level sectional doors. Parking spaces for 106 cars and eight trucks are provided in the outdoor area. Great importance is attached to sustainability. In addition to energy-saving LED lighting, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof of the property to generate renewable energy. In addition, certification according to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is being sought.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is realising the second location for Picnic in Falkensee, Brandenburg, on the western outskirts of Berlin. Last year, the project developer secured a plot of land of around 36,000 sq m in the Falkensee South industrial park. The go-ahead for the construction of the planned logistics centre, which will cover almost 21,000 sq m, is also scheduled for October. The property, in which Garbe is investing a total of around €23m, is scheduled for completion in June 2023.

“Our expectation of fully leasing Falkensee during the construction period has been fulfilled,” says Jan Dietrich Hempel. “Due to the proximity to Berlin and Potsdam, logistics space is in high demand in this region.” In addition, the site has an excellent location in the industrial park. For example, the distance to the border of the Berlin district of Spandau is only about 800m as the crow flies. Falkensee is connected to the national trunk road network via the B 5, which connects the capital with Hamburg, and the Berlin ring road. The regional train station with direct connections to the centre of Berlin is only 500m away.

“Berliners and Brandenburgers can look forward to fresh food at the lowest prices and free delivery,” explains Frederic Knaudt. “The groceries are picked in Falkensee, taken to the last-mile locations and from there delivered to customers’ homes in our electric vans.” To ensure smooth handling, the new building in Falkensee will be equipped with 20 ramp gates and four ground-level gates. In addition, cold storage and deep-freeze rooms will be integrated in the hall area in order to be able to store temperature-controlled foodstuffs properly in compliance with all specifications. Parking spaces for 144 cars are to be created in the outdoor area. Frederic Knaudt: “With the commissioning, we will create around 200 new jobs in Falkensee and around 150 in Kaltenkirchen.”

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is aiming for DGNB Gold certification for the property in Falkensee. As a significant sustainability measure, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the entire roof area. In addition, extensive species protection measures were carried out and, among other things, sand lizards were relocated to a replacement habitat.

AI and the logistics of disaster

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Natural disasters, such as the recent hurricanes which devastated Puerto Rico (Fiona) and Florida (Ian), are serving up real-life case studies demonstrating how artificial intelligence, or AI, is helping to improve supply chain reliability in the face of horrific storms, writes Vaughn Moore, Executive Chairman and CEO of AIT Worldwide Logistics.

While it will still be weeks and even months before the people and businesses located in these regions rebuild their lives, supplies and relief will get to them much faster and more efficiently thanks to AI’s ability to readily capitalise on incoming logistical data.

While AI-enabled forecasting has already proven its effectiveness in predicting how inventory and materials will be disrupted by natural disasters, it’s a bit more challenging to know in advance how physical transport infrastructure – roads, ports, trucks, trains, ships, and labour – will be impacted.

In the case of transportation logistics, however, one thing is increasingly clear: network flexibility is a key advantage. Using the latest real-time information about freight location, road access, weather, and truck loads, an AI-enabled logistics network has the flexibility to recommend a plan to consolidate shipments headed for Florida so they can be staged at a neighbouring facility (Atlanta, for example) and quickly deployed to centres like Miami, Orlando, and Tampa in hours – as soon as conditions permit.

Capacity management also comes into play when shipments are unexpectedly paused and displaced from their original planned routes. AI can help analyse the data and propose a plan that will get supply chains moving again in the most efficient manner.

The next challenge begins when shipment demand surges as lanes reopen in stricken areas. While pain points persist in the supply chains for both Florida and Puerto Rico, leveraging the power of AI when catastrophe strikes can strengthen the tactical response for shippers and their logistics partners, improving the recovery period for survivors.

 

Transaid exceeds 50,000 professional drivers trained in Africa

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Transaid used its recent annual showcase event in London to celebrate two major road safety milestones met during 2022, whilst also highlighting the significant challenges facing its professional driver training projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking before an audience of around 100 corporate members and supporters, Road Safety Project Manager Neil Rettie announced that since 2008, Transaid had trained more than 100 professional driver trainers, who have in turn delivered training to more than 50,000 mostly HGV, PSV and forklift drivers – having a lasting impact on road safety standards.

CEO Caroline Barber paid special thanks to the industry for its steadfast support, saying: “Achieving these milestones in 2022 has only been possible thanks to our strong partnerships, incredible teams and partners in Africa, and the remarkable backing from the transport industry and those that fund our work. Despite another challenging year, your support has remained constant, and I know that you are as committed to Transaid’s mission as ever.”

Looking to the future, Neil said that Transaid must work hard to support female drivers in gaining employment after completing their training – explaining that when entering a male dominated sector, women are often compared directly to male candidates for employment who already have years of experience.

He also highlighted that the environmental impact of transport means Transaid will place a renewed focus on teaching fuel-efficient driving, whilst also adjusting training to cater for the introduction of buses and motorcycle taxis with electric drivelines. Neil also warned that spiralling shipping costs are making it unrealistically expensive for Transaid to send donor vehicles to countries where they are needed to establish and grow training fleets – and invited offers of assistance from logistics or shipping partners.

As well as shining a spotlight on Transaid’s breadth of road safety projects, which includes work with the FIA Foundation in Kenya to establish a national motorcycle helmet coalition, the event included an update on its access to health initiatives, which have continued apace in 2022 with implementation of the MAMaZ Against Malaria@Scale programme.

The showcase was also an opportunity to present the annual Victor Simfukwe Awards – which recognise outstanding contribution and are held in memory of the former Transaid team member who passed away in 2019 following a road traffic accident in Zambia.

GXO graduate Abbie Rennison was highly commended for her nine-month secondment to Transaid’s professional driver training work in Uganda, whilst former Transaid Chair Jo Godsmark, who stood down in the summer, won the overall award for her unwavering commitment to the organisation. Jo spent nine years on the board of trustees, including six years as Chair, and will next week take part in Transaid’s Cycle Malawi event – the latest in a string of major fundraising commitments.

The event was kindly hosted at the central London offices of law firm Ashurst LLP.

Second phase of Redditch scheme approved

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Stoford has secured planning consent for the speculative development of almost 450,000 sq ft of new industrial and logistics accommodation near Redditch.

The leading commercial property developer will build two new warehouse units at Redditch Gateway, a multimillion pound logistics and manufacturing scheme off the A4023 Coventry Highway.

The new net zero carbon units will comprise 160,208 sq ft and 286,328 sq ft respectively and will be developed on the southern side of the 78-acre Redditch Gateway site, which is fully serviced and delivers a 9.5 MVA power supply.

Features will include integral hub and office space, 15m clear eaves height, secure yard space and parking, as well as the creation of an external gym area and upgrades to the existing trim trail.

Construction of the new units is expected to begin imminently, with work likely to be completed in autumn 2023.

Dan Gallagher, Joint Managing Director of Stoford, said: “We are very pleased to have gained approval for the second phase of development at Redditch Gateway, which will meet a growing demand from regional occupiers. When complete, the scheme will deliver almost one million sq ft of highly sustainable new and high quality office, logistics and manufacturing accommodation and provide support to the local economy through new jobs and investment opportunities.”

Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “It is great news to have confirmation of planning approval for more commercial units at the Redditch Gateway site in Worcestershire. We recognise that many businesses in the region are looking for new units to expand or invest their business into, and this development will help that to become a reality in Worcestershire.

“This is a key commercial site for the county and supports the Worcestershire LEP’s 2040 Plan for Growth to increase the number of commercial premises available to support the growth of the local economy.”

Anita Bhalla, Interim Chair of GBSLEP, said: “This is another great step forward for Stoford and the wider partners in fulfilling the vision for Redditch Gateway. It will provide quality logistics space for regional occupiers looking for a central location with good transport infrastructure. The £1.8 million grant GBSLEP contributed to this project has helped to unlock the potential of this site, creating jobs and boosting local employment and skills opportunities. Sites like this are vital to growing the local economy and driving inclusive, sustainable economic growth.”

Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Cllr Matt Dormer, said: “The approval of this application marks the next vital stage in the regeneration of Redditch, as we continue to unlock previously untapped potential and inspire progress with exciting projects like this one. This council continues to deliver on our promises to improve our town; creating jobs for and enhancing the skillset of our residents and providing opportunities for local people to work close to home. This will help propel us into the future, boost our local economy and in turn make our town a fantastic place to live and work.”

Cllr Tony Jefferson, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: “This is a key employment location as identified in our Core Strategy. At a time when UK economic growth is stalling, the approval of this scheme will be a real tonic to the economic development of the area and will create a great many employment opportunities.”

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills, Worcestershire County Council, said: “We are pleased to see the continued development at Redditch Gateway; it presents the county with another prime investment site with superb connectivity and the potential to see more jobs created. I look forward to seeing the delivery of this phase to help us achieve our vision of making Worcestershire a connected, creative, dynamic economy for all.”

Tim Davies, Senior Development Manager, Homes England, said: “Securing planning for the scheme is a fantastic achievement testament to Stoford’s capabilities. We are currently working through conditions with Stoford to enable them to commence development in the next few months.”

Stoford is lead developer for Redditch Gateway, working alongside landowners, The Gorcott Trust and Homes England. The scheme is being supported through a blend of grant and loan funding of £1.7 million from Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP) through its Growing Places Fund and a £1.8 million grant from Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).

Redditch Gateway is being marketed by Burbage Realty, Colliers International and Savills.

 

Europe set for nearshoring boom

Posted on by Keith McKinley

European businesses are looking towards Romania, Turkey and Morocco as alternatives to production in Ukraine and Asia following months of supply-chain disruption, according to the new ‘Supply Chain Disruptions’ report, from JLL.

According to the report, number of businesses operating within the retail and manufacturing sector have already decided to nearshore part or all of their production. JLL’s internal data shows that the primary beneficiaries of reshoring are Central Europe and Romania, while Turkey and Morocco are looking towards nearshoring.

The move comes after the pandemic resulted in a breakdown of distribution networks and severe bottlenecks at ports and airports, meaning companies started to prioritise nearshoring in a bid to address supply chain disruptions. JLL also expects a lack of land and labour shortages to push up demand in Central Europe from primary to strategically located secondary and tertiary markets.

Data from Flexport shows the average container journey from Asia to Europe has nearly doubled since 2019, while research from Buck Consultants International (BCI) found more than 60 per cent of US and European companies are planning to bring some of their production back to their own region.

Considering established transportation networks and gateways, markets along two of Europe’s distribution corridors: the traditional blue banana and emerging Black Sea banana, are most likely to experience rising demand from third-party logistics (3PLs). Furthermore, severe supply constraints in prime markets along these corridors will push demand to strategically located secondary and tertiary markets along these same corridors.

Guy Gueirard, Head of EMEA Logistics at JLL, said: “Rising wages in low-cost manufacturing locations and increased risk due to climate change, strikes, and accidents such as the Suez Canal blockage have fuelled discussions of nearshoring and growing diversification over the past decade. However, risk versus cost scenarios in combination with the consequent loss of manufacturing infrastructure in Europe after large parts of manufacturing moved to Asia, meant Asian markets continued to be favoured as trading partners and manufacturing bases for a large range of products – but things are changing.”

Lisa Graham, Head of Industrial and Logistics Research, EMEA, JLL, said: “Two years of a global pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war are starting to shake things, after highlighting risks and resiliency gaps that outweigh cost considerations for all types of businesses. Businesses have realised that diversification strategies are essential for maintaining optimal inventory levels in European markets and this research proves that we’re seeing a disruption to the supply chain and we will continue to see this trend emerge.”

Scottish transport industry sets fundraising record for Transaid

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Transport and logistics companies from across Scotland recently came together for the inaugural Scottish Transaid Dinner, held in memory of the late Jayne Gray of Stirling-based H & R Gray Haulage. The evening raised an incredible £105,110.50 and marked the largest sum of money ever collected for Transaid on a single night.

Delayed for two years by the pandemic, the dinner was organised by Transaid Chair and former Scottish Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken, together with a team of Scotland’s next generation hauliers including Lynsey Mitchell from John Mitchell Haulage & Warehousing and Nicola Robertson (Malcolm) of The Malcolm Group.

Hauliers from across Scotland were invited to attend, with more than 200 people coming together at The Bothwell Bridge Hotel, in Bothwell. Funds were raised through ticket sales, sponsorship, and a special charity auction which included a horsebox which sold for £10,000, and a rare bottle of Macallan whisky fetching £4,500!

Speaking after the event, Joan Aitken said: “This was a stupendous show of support by the Scottish transport industry and a demonstration of fellow feeling towards those in Africa who do not have the benefits of safe transport.”

Florence Bearman, Head of Fundraising for Transaid, said: “We have waited a long time to enjoy this special moment with our supporters in Scotland, and the generosity they have shown towards Transaid is truly unprecedented. Every single penny will support our work delivering road safety and access to health projects.”

The evening included a touching tribute to Jayne Gray, and a chance to celebrate Transaid’s activities, which currently span nine countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

 

 

Prologis announces three major UK speculative developments

Posted on by David Priestman

Following a recent flurry of acquisitions within the UK, Prologis, a leading owner and developer of logistics real estate, has announced three strategic developments across the Midlands and the South East. The projects at Prologis Park Midpoint, located in Birmingham, Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands in Weybridge , bringing the total amount of land under development by Prologis UK for the logistics industry to 2.4 million sq ft.

Ground has been broken at Prologis Park Midpoint, one of the UK’s most successful logistics parks, with the new unit, DC6, under construction as part of a speculative development project. On completion, the new 163,754 sq ft distribution centre will bring the total floorspace of logistics properties at the park to over 1.6 million sq ft.

Prologis Park Midpoint is situated in the logistics “Golden Triangle” in the Midlands – a prime location to support growing supply chain needs. The park is situated just eight miles from central Birmingham and has access to 11 motorway junctions within five miles, providing vital accessibility for national and urban distribution.

As demands within the ecommerce sector continue to grow, there has been an increased focus on the need for more high-density urban hubs to provide greater last-mile capabilities. In response to the growing needs of the industry, Prologis has broken ground on two key development areas within Greater London.

Strategically positioned to ensure access the major consumer markets within West and Central London, and Thames Valley, Prologis Park West London is located on the doorstep of Heathrow Airport and within four miles of the M25. The two new units, DC5 (195,719 sq ft) and DC6 (143,849 sq ft), are due to finish construction in Spring 2023.

Likewise, Prologis Park Brooklands DC1 is situated in a proven last-mile delivery location, serving Central and South London, with easy access to the M25, M3 and A3. The new 124,401 sq ft logistics facility draws upon a large and skilled labour pool from Weybridge and surrounding areas.

Both Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands are designed and built to meet the demands of high-performance operations.

As well as being Grade A logistics and manufacturing facilities, all three developments will be certified net zero carbon in construction, with the new facilities targeted to achieve BREEAM-rated ‘Excellent’, a mark of Prologis’ ongoing environmental credentials. In addition, the units will be kitted out with EV infrastructure for the benefit of customers with green fleets.

Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “Our development projects benefit from the excellent support of local councils and other stakeholders right from the start. Not only do these speculative developments show the strength and confidence we have in the sector, but also the exemplify the innovative ways in which the industry can support its ongoing growth. We’ve listened to the market, and to our customers, and are actively pushing forward development plans to support areas of growth, such as last-mile and urban delivery.

“We’re immensely proud of the development projects that are ongoing across the country, and these new units are expected to generate a high level of interest and bring an array of benefits for the local economy and communities.”

 

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