UK-based logistics provider Vantec Europe has opened a 40,500 sq.m warehouse at Hillthorn Business Park in Sunderland, following an investment of £23m ($33m). The facility will exclusively handle just-in-time inbound items for Nissan’s Sunderland plant.
It is the second such facility the company has established in Sunderland and follows the 45,000 sq.m warehouse the company opened at the Turbine Business Park in 2013.
Together the facilities represent a £50m investment in the area by Vantec and its owner, Hitachi Transport System.
“Our strategy is to get all the warehousing for Nissan as close to the plant as possible to reduce logistics costs,” said Martin Kendall, Vantec Europe’s managing director. “The long-term plan allows us to deliver cost-effective logistics solutions to our customer.”
The opening of the facility this year coincides with Vantec’s 25th anniversary in Sunderland.
At the recent opening ceremony (pictured), Vantec Corporation’s president, Yokinobu Kodama, said: “During these last 25 years, we have grown along with our strategic customers, such as Nissan, to a point where we now employ over 1,100 people in the north east of England, over nine hundred of which are based within our Sunderland operations.”
The Hillthorn facility will create 120 jobs over the next couple of years and Vantec aims to create around 235 jobs in all by next year.
Vantec Europe provides warehousing and logistics in the north east of England to Nissan, Komatsu UK, Cummins Engines and Thorn Lighting. It has three warehousing and logistics sites across Sunderland.
It also has facilities in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, providing logistics services to customers in the south of the UK.
