Steelwork has been erected as the construction of a £14million industrial/warehouse development in Northamptonshire continues to make good progress. Main contractor MCS Group has been appointed by St Francis Group in joint venture with the Richardson family to deliver five units totalling 270,000 sq ft at Cransley Park, Kettering. Construction
JLL’s H1 2018 UK Big Box Industrial & Logistics research has been published, revealing that over 12 million square feet of logistics properties were let in the first half of 2018. Logistics companies were the most active source of take-up in H1 2018, at 38% of the total whilst the
Power has been installed at the 700 acre site at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, supporting up to six million sq ft high specification logistics space and enabling occupiers to begin installing technology as part of their internal fit-outs. Moreover, construction of the 195,500 sq ft facility for global
Goodman has pre let the Hamburg III Logistics Centre at Moorburger Bogen in the Port of Hamburg to two big-name customers – logistics service provider B+S, who will be taking over 12,000 sqm of the new facility on the southern Elbe on 1 August 2018 and Kühne + Nagel, who will occupy 23,000
Network Rail-approved supplier Scott Parnell has launched its latest product for the rail industry. The ARCOsizeZERO is an elevated troughing system for the easy installation of lightweight fibre optic cables which will form the backbone of the digital age. The new product is an extension of Scott Parnell’s existing ARCOSYSTEM,
Huddersfield-based truck rental specialists Mac’s Truck Rental are celebrating a successful first half of to the year, following their well-publicised site move to a new custom facility on Crosland Road. Mac’s Truck Rental hail their success as a direct result of the improved services they now offer. This provides businesses
Britain’s leading rail freight company, DB Cargo UK, has announced that thanks to a three-year deal with SSE Business Energy, all of its rail sites and offices will be powered by 100% renewable electricity. “Our customers have long understood the environmental benefits of moving their goods via rail rather than
Automation is nothing new in the manufacturing and distribution industry. After all, robots have been helping out on production lines since the 1970s, from shuttling parts to constructing car chassis. But the latest wave of automation is both more autonomous and more mobile than ever before – and it’s already
There are all sorts of reasons for requiring pallet deliveries to a construction site. It could be for moving large appliances such as air conditioning units ready for installation or smaller items but in large quantities, like floor tiles or anything else. Arranging pallet delivery to a construction site isn’t
An AJ Top 100 architectural practice, Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP), has completed a £7.7 million, 5,894 m2 new build warehouse, factory and office building on a vacant 4.5 acre plot at the Watermead Business Park, Syston, near Leicester. The facility was built for Albert Browne, owned by STERIS
Steelwork has been erected as the construction of a £14million industrial/warehouse development in Northamptonshire continues to make good progress. Main contractor MCS Group has been appointed by St Francis Group in joint venture with the Richardson family to deliver five units totalling 270,000 sq ft at Cransley Park, Kettering. Construction started on site in May. MCS Group managing director Keir Edmonds said: “Cransley Park, which is adjacent to the A14, is in a prime location for business. On behalf of St Francis Group, we’re delivering high quality units of up to 100,000 sq ft which will cater for a range of occupier requirements, within a landscaped environment. “Very good progress is being made on site, with the steelwork starting to go up, and we’re on schedule to reach practical completion in February 2019.” Cransley Park comprises a 32-acre gateway site strategically located just off junction 8 of the A14 in Kettering. Gareth Williams, development director at St Francis Group, said: “We appointed MCS Group because they have an excellent track record in delivering developments in the industrial/warehouse sector. This is an exciting development, which will deliver much-needed space into a strong regional market where the supply is currently limited. We expect a great deal of interest from potential occupiers now that work is well underway.” The units are being offered for both lease and purchase and have been designed to a high specification to achieve the BREEAM Very Good and EPC ‘A’ rating, featuring 50K/n floor loading, 50M service yards, 8-10M eaves height, dock levellers, level access doors, car/HGV parking and first office accommodation. Prop Search and LSH are the letting agents. Keir added: “This is one of a number of industrial schemes that we are working on. We are delivering around 1,000,000 sq ft of industrial space this year and it’s where we believe there is a major opportunity to win substantial levels of new business and to establish ourselves as one of the leading main contractors in the sector.” MCS Group is currently constructing several warehouse units at sites across the UK and has recently won contracts in Lutterworth, Hatfield and Bristol. The company has also built and refurbished more than 300 car dealerships including Audi, BMW, Mclaren and Jaguar Land Rover since its inception in 2003.
JLL’s H1 2018 UK Big Box Industrial & Logistics research has been published, revealing that over 12 million square feet of logistics properties were let in the first half of 2018. Logistics companies were the most active source of take-up in H1 2018, at 38% of the total whilst the growth of online retail has continued to generate new demand for warehousing with retailers accounting for 34% of demand. Moreover, Grade A availability increased over the first six months of 2018 to 20.2 million sq ft, following a pick-up in both new and good quality second hand supply. Nationally, the vacancy rate rose from 6% at the end of 2017 to 7% at mid-2018. Distribution rents are also forecast to grow by 3.4% this year throughout the UK. “Take up in the occupational market was exceptionally strong in the first six months of this year, indeed it was one of the strongest half yearly levels on record and 27% higher than the five-year half yearly average, H2 2013 – H1 2018 (9.7 million sq ft). The sharp rise is partly attributable to a number of large transactions, that had initially been expected to complete last year, rolling over into 2018. Of the 12.3 million sq ft taken up in H1 2018, around 9 million sq ft comprised new units, with the remaining 3.2 million sq ft consisting of good quality second hand space,” said Richard Evans, director Industrial & Logistics. Regionally, the research revealed that the East Midlands accounted for the largest share of take-up of new floorspace in H1 2018 at 45% of the total. This was followed by the Greater South East (South East, East and London) which took a 16% share and the West Midlands, which accounted for 15% of total demand. “Despite the likelihood of slow economic growth this year and continued uncertainty over Brexit, we remain positive about the logistics market in 2018. With over 4 million sq ft of logistics space currently either under offer or expected to complete in the short-term we expect a robust level of take-up this year, potentially around the 20 million sq ft mark which would be above the five-year annual average,” said Jon Sleeman, director Industrial & Logistics research. “With more speculative development taking place nationally we also expect to see a change in the take-up of new space with speculative product eating into the dominant built to suit (BTS) share. Based on our monitoring of the supply pipeline, we expect speculative development to continue to rise, including larger units,” Jon concluded.
Power has been installed at the 700 acre site at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, supporting up to six million sq ft high specification logistics space and enabling occupiers to begin installing technology as part of their internal fit-outs. Moreover, construction of the 195,500 sq ft facility for global transport and logistics company Kuehne + Nagel begins. The senior executives from the company recently joined SEGRO on-site to mark groundbreaking at their 17 acre development, which will serve as the UK locations for its Overland operations. The new facility is expected to complete in April 2019 and will support up to 320 jobs. “This new facility will be integral to our UK overland operations, and we are very pleased to see construction commence on site. Our aspiration is to create a best in class logistics facility, and we believe we have the right partner in SEGRO to do that,” said Jim Hedderwick, Kuehne + Nagel director of overland for the UK. SEGRO keeps advancing a number of infrastructure works at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, such as improvement work to the M1 at Junction 24 and 24A, a bypass linking the site to Kegworth, which includes a 1,200 tonnes bridge over the M1, and the delivery of a 50 acre rail freight link. “We have considerable momentum at East Midlands Gateway, where we are creating a state of the art, multi-modal logistics hub. Our strategy at SLPEMG is to deliver the off-site and on-site infrastructure in parallel, whilst also delivering the units for occupiers meaning the new facilities can be operational more quickly,” said Andrew Pilsworth from SEGRO. “The connection of power is a significant milestone as it allows Kuehne + Nagel, and other companies that have committed to the site, to begin their high-tech internal fit-outs. Construction will continue apace over the second half of 2018,” Andrew concluded. As well as providing critical infrastructure for the logistics supply chain, SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway will create 7,250 jobs, 900 construction jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs.
Goodman has pre let the Hamburg III Logistics Centre at Moorburger Bogen in the Port of Hamburg to two big-name customers – logistics service provider B+S, who will be taking over 12,000 sqm of the new facility on the southern Elbe on 1 August 2018 and Kühne + Nagel, who will occupy 23,000 sqm. The new logistics centre is already the group’s fourth major project in the region. The Hamburg III Logistics Centre has a total area of 35,000 sqm, highlighting Goodman’s strategy of developing flexible properties that suit the needs of clients in every industry. The project, as most of spaces developed by Goodman in Germany, is a brownfield conversion and its quality is emphasised by lofty hall heights of up to 12m and the light strips in the mezzanine areas. “Given that all customers are pursuing different objectives with their logistics properties, the best results are achieved if the buildings can be easily adapted to meet the individual needs of each customer. Businesses are asking for logistics facilities at short notice. We are actively responding by developing properties on a speculative basis, utilising our lengthy experience in building large-scale logistics complexes. That is why big-name businesses rely on our expertise,” said Christof Prange, Goodman Germany’s Head of Business Development. The location of the Logistics Centre, Moorburger Bogen, is a key logistics hub with excellent links with the A7 and A1 motorways and easy access to the Altenwerder, Burchardkai and Eurokai container terminals, around eight kilometres away. The 12,000 sqm logistics space will largely be used for contract logistics and e-commerce fulfilment by B+S, which has expanded its logistics space in Hamburg to 33,000 sqm. For its part, Kühne + Nagel is using the space for warehousing and distributing its customers’ goods. Kühne + Nagel is already renting 14 properties from the Goodman portfolio, 12 of which are in Europe, including two in Hamburg.
Network Rail-approved supplier Scott Parnell has launched its latest product for the rail industry. The ARCOsizeZERO is an elevated troughing system for the easy installation of lightweight fibre optic cables which will form the backbone of the digital age. The new product is an extension of Scott Parnell’s existing ARCOSYSTEM, but with a clear focus on delivering increased capabilities to the industry’s communications network. ARCOsizeZERO is a flexible system made of corrosion-resistant GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) material. It comes in complete six metre pieces which are simply slid into position without the need for loose nuts and bolts – minimising installation time for on-site engineers and thereby reducing the risk from working trackside. Unlike traditional troughing, which is unnecessarily bulky for this application, the latest product is slim yet durable: offering the ideal solution for installation projects in congested areas or over difficult terrain. Troughs can be placed alongside railway lines or mounted to walls for tunnels and bridges, taking up far less space than normal cable-carrying channels. Established in 2012, Scott Parnell is a groundworks and civil engineering products specialist, and a Network Rail-approved supplier of the respected ARCOSYSTEM range of solutions. The organisation’s focus is on researching and creating innovative solutions for the rail sector. Commenting on the new product launch, founder Steve Parnell said: “As populations expand and passenger volumes increase, the supporting systems will demand better connectivity. Telecommunications capabilities will rely on the development of infrastructure to support a modern IP network for track-to-train communications. The ARCOsizeZERO is aimed at meeting these demands, by offering a flexible solution for the distribution of fibre optic cables. “We are delighted to launch this new product with a focus firmly on the future. The system enjoys the same benefits as our existing troughing products, but with the purpose of creating a fast and efficient communications network for both day-to-day rail operations and passenger connectivity.” ARCOsizeZERO can be utilised in conjunction with ARCOSYSTEM Size 1 and Size 2, ensuring the product line is ‘future-proof’ as additional cable capacity can be added after the original installation.
Huddersfield-based truck rental specialists Mac’s Truck Rental are celebrating a successful first half of to the year, following their well-publicised site move to a new custom facility on Crosland Road. Mac’s Truck Rental hail their success as a direct result of the improved services they now offer. This provides businesses across the UK with access to trucks built specific to their needs, with mounted cranes, custom bodies and more. In fact, the business has seen an increased number of local clients, with the local construction industry thriving in recent months. Industrial and commercial property projects are on the rise, and this is where the contract hire Mac’s Trucks offer can provide a significant benefit to businesses, explains Selena McDade-Smith, Head of Rental: “Mac’s Trucks has always been known for the quality of their service, and the huge capability of our team. When we originally established Mac’s Truck Rental, that was a key consideration in deciding on the contact hire option we provide for truck financing. This means that when businesses lease a truck from us, they still get access to our incredible service all as part of their truck hire – which includes servicing, maintenance, and breakdown assistance, because of the customer-focused contract hire option we provide.” The truck hire-specialist’s approach has been recognised as part of the BVRLA, the British Vehicle Renting and Leasing Association, the leading trade body for vehicle rental. After consistent year on year growth, Mac’s Truck Rental is now launching a standalone website, offering businesses more information on the trucks they can hire, as well as the custom-build facilities available from their new HQ. [URL: https://macstruckrental.co.uk] Mac’s Truck Rental continue to invest in their fleet and premises, providing another positive story for local industry.
Britain’s leading rail freight company, DB Cargo UK, has announced that thanks to a three-year deal with SSE Business Energy, all of its rail sites and offices will be powered by 100% renewable electricity. “Our customers have long understood the environmental benefits of moving their goods via rail rather than road; however our customers are increasingly more environmentally aware, with ‘green issues’ becoming prominent on their daily agendas. This initiative not only demonstrates DB Cargo’s understanding of our customers’ requirements but also supports DB Cargo’s vision for global sustainability,” said Roger Neary, Head of Sales at DB Cargo UK. As part of the agreement, SSE Business Energy will supply all sites belonging to DB Cargo UK and will allow the rail freight company to report zero carbon emission electricity, preventing an estimated 5,000 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere each year. This volume of saved carbon is the equivalent to powering almost 4,000 homes with green electricity or taking approximately 17 million miles driven by an average car off the road. “This is a massive step forward to improving our impact on the environment. We are committed to work with our suppliers to support our DB2020+ Group global strategy to become an Eco-Pioneer by 2020,” said Andrea Jones, Head of Procurement at DB Cargo UK. In order to identify and evaluate supplier options and arrange the deal, DB Cargo UK worked with Schneider Electric, as well as DB Schenker UK and Arriva UK Group. The rail freight company ultimately selected SSE Business Energy based on price and additional services. “As technologies advance and prices fall, renewables make good business sense, but with an array of options, finding the right source and supplier and negotiating favourable terms, can be daunting. Through a rigorous selection process, DB Cargo made a milestone investment that serves its customers, communities and long-term operational needs,” explained Andy Dewis, Vice President of Energy & Sustainability Service at Schneider Electric.
Automation is nothing new in the manufacturing and distribution industry. After all, robots have been helping out on production lines since the 1970s, from shuttling parts to constructing car chassis. But the latest wave of automation is both more autonomous and more mobile than ever before – and it’s already at work in a facility near you. Here’s what you need to know about robots and storage, or what’s known as an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). An AS/RS is a computer-controlled system that’s designed to locate, place and retrieve loads from racking and other storage. An AS/RS usually operates with complete autonomy, although it will tend to have some human oversight. In large scale operations, the AS/RS will receive its orders automatically in conjunction with an eCommerce system, and will set to work retrieving the items in question. The AS/RS concept has been around in some form since the 1960s. You may recognise the concept from depictions of archives in science fiction: a robot on a shuttle, lift or crane navigates a line of shelves, plucks out an item, and returns it to the operator. Many of today’s systems operate in a similar fashion, though their abilities have increased: modern systems can now pick smaller, more delicate items, and do so with dramatically improved speed. The most common automated storage systems operate by moving autonomous vehicles along guided rollers alongside shelves. When they are in position, a series of lifts carry the vehicle up to the correct pallet, which is then withdrawn from the shelf and ferried back. This is often quicker and always safer than involving employees in the retrieval process, and allows human resources to be distributed elsewhere in the business. An AS/RS using lifts is also known as a Vertical Lift Module (VLM). A VLM allows for storage on more levels than are traditionally available in a pallet racking solution, with the potential for eight or more tiers of as much as 100 ft tall. Such a system can accommodate over 14,000 pallets in just 30,000 square feet of floor space – saving up to 70,000 sq/ft saving on a traditional three-tiered layout. The efficiency savings this provides can then be reinvested in further internal and external expansion for production or distribution purposes. Amazon’s Kiva robots represent the current pinnacle of this technology. These squat, heavy lifting robots are what’s known as Unit Load AS/RS, and are more reminiscent of giant Roombas than your stereotypical robot. They’ve proved so efficient however that Amazon has rolled them out to its global warehouses, and they now help to manage the bulk of its Amazon Pantry stock. The robots are able to navigate down aisles of racking without collisions, and can locate pallets by scanning QR codes, a blocky barcode like image. They can then lift an entire pallet on their ‘back’, and carry it to human workers to open and pack the contents. All of this is carried out autonomously based on order volume for various products, and is only overseen by a human controller. The development of both sensor and wireless technology has dramatically altered the capabilities of an AS/RS. Advanced sensors similar to those used in autonomous cars prevent the robots from colliding with storage units or people, ensuring safe retrieval. The ability to grip and locomote with greater dexterity has also allowed for smaller objects to be transported, and the development of what are known as Mini-Load AS/RS. Wireless technologies such as RFID, Wi-Fi and NFC meanwhile allow the units to communicate information wirelessly, locating objects which have been tagged with visual codes or microchips. They can then tell a centralised system when they have successfully retrieved the item, automating the inventory management process with absolute accuracy. Automated storage and retrieval systems have a number of requirements which may be beyond smaller businesses; these include heavy health & safety oversight, centralised inventory management and eCommerce systems, and significant capital investment. Many businesses may benefit instead from the installation of more efficient, high density pallet racking, or the space saving effects of a mobile shelving solution. For those at the cutting edge, however, AS/RS represents the pinnacle of efficiency savings in storage and distribution, and something to keep a watchful eye on for the future. This post was written by Invicta Pallet Racking. For over 25 years we have been at the forefront of the archive storage industry throughout the UK and Europe, designing and installing some of the largest racking and storage systems currently found on the market.
There are all sorts of reasons for requiring pallet deliveries to a construction site. It could be for moving large appliances such as air conditioning units ready for installation or smaller items but in large quantities, like floor tiles or anything else. Arranging pallet delivery to a construction site isn’t as simple as ordering an item from Amazon though, there are extra considerations you must take to ensure the whole process runs smoothly. When you’re ordering pallets to be sent to a construction site, these are some of the main things to think about. Time Pallet deliveries are large and sometimes awkward, delivered on lorries that may struggle to get to certain locations. Of course, they should be arranged depending on the working hours of the construction site so there’s someone there to let them in. Yet also you need to make sure there are enough people present to help unload and move any pallets, which is why organising delivery too early or late in the day is inadvisable. Plus, during rush hour these vehicles may find it harder to deliver so more towards the middle of the day could be best. Weight Depending on the delivery service you use, they will likely charge based on the size and weight of your pallet deliveries. This means it can be more cost effective in some cases to arrange for more items to be delivered together or order in bulk. On the other hand, if you only need a small amount then it can be worth looking at options for a smaller pallet or crate to save on delivery costs. Access One of the main ways deliveries can get held up is by getting stuck on route or being unable to access the construction site. There are many stories of lorry drivers following sat-navs and getting lost or stuck. If your construction site is hard to access or surrounded by narrow, country lanes, inform the delivery company of this before they set off to avoid such issues. Price Finally, price will be a major factor in deciding what pallet delivery company to use. Depending on what you are getting delivered and where from, it may even be tempting to collect yourself if it’s fairly local. Otherwise, be sure to compare all the options available and maybe even negotiate to secure the best possible deal. Before you arrange pallet delivery to your construction site make sure you’ve checked off all of these important considerations for a successful experience.
An AJ Top 100 architectural practice, Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP), has completed a £7.7 million, 5,894 m2 new build warehouse, factory and office building on a vacant 4.5 acre plot at the Watermead Business Park, Syston, near Leicester. The facility was built for Albert Browne, owned by STERIS Corporation, and it will showcase the company’s product quality and high level of quality assurance in its production methods, as well as merging staff and processes from two sites whilst allowing space for any potential future expansion. “Working alongside Albert Browne and the STERIS Corporation, SGP has designed a flexible, high-quality production facility whose refined design delivers a contemporary building that meets the clients’ current and future needs,” said Ian Yallop, chairman of SGP. The purpose-built facility uses a contemporary form with large areas of glazing and a simple neutral colour palette. Three interlocking forms with an asymmetric curved roof contain the main production and storage building whilst a lower block contains the office and R&D functions. A change in colour on each block helps to break down the overall mass, forming an animated ‘gateway’ into the city and responding to glimpsed views from the A607. The entrances are emphasised by a two storey blue framed glazed structure containing reception and meeting rooms with a double height void over the reception area. Stephen George + Partners is one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, employing over 85 staff across offices in London, Leicester, Leeds, Birmingham and Solihull. With its strategic geographical locations and talented architectural design teams, the practice specialises in masterplanning and the residential, industrial, logistics, office, education, health and retail sectors. Success in the UK has led to opportunities overseas, resulting in the establishment of Stephen George International in 2009. In 2016 Stephen George + Partners turned over £6 million.