DP World and Kent Foods have signed a deal in excess of £20 million ($26.3 million) to establish a new storage facility at London Gateway Logistics Park.
Under the 10-year lease agreement, Kent Foods – a part of The Albex Group – will occupy a 150,000 square-foot warehouse to store food products arriving at London Gateway’s container port before being distributed throughout the UK by rail and road. Kent Foods took occupation on 27 February.
Construction was completed last year, and temperature-controlled freezer units have now been installed to accommodate a wide array of goods, including chocolate, sugar and cooking oils. The warehouse has been built to the highest sustainability standards, having been awarded both a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and EPC ‘A’ rating.
Located within Thames Freeport, Kent Food’s new storage facility will benefit from the hub’s strategic location. The Freeport offers direct access to London and the Southeast consumer market while providing businesses with financial incentives, including employer National Insurance savings and capital allowances on investments.
Global real estate advisor Avison Young represented Kent Foods throughout the acquisition.
Alan Holland, Chief Executive Officer of London Gateway Logistics Park,said:“We are delighted to welcome Kent Foods as our newest customer to London Gateway Logistics Park, marking yet another key growth milestone for our operations and for DP World in the UK.
“Kent Foods will be able to leverage the full financial benefits of Thames Freeport and London Gateway’s rail terminal and extensive road links. We are going from strength to strength as customers continue to choose DP World and our well-connected site on the Thames Estuary as the best place to support their supply chain journeys and UK-wide commercial operations.”
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Maciej Szczygiel, Managing Director for the South East Region at Albex Logistics,said: “Kent Foods are excited to take entry into their new logistics centre at London Gateway Logistics Park, which will be managed for them by fellow Albex Group member, Albex Logistics South East.
“The industry-leading facilities at this port-centric location will enable Kent Foods to further improve their service to UK food manufacturers by reducing port-to-production timelines for imported raw materials and speeding up the export of finished foodstuffs around the globe.”
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Michael Dalglish, Albex Group Operations Director,added: “Kent Foods and Albex Logistics are fully focused on delivering innovative, sustainable, and efficient solutions for the food industry. This facility at London Gateway is yet another major contribution to this objective.”
