Work on the £30m #BuiltByGMI helicopter logistics hub on behalf of aerospace giant Leonardo Cements continues to move at a pace, with the site’s progress marked by the industrial partners’ next generation workforce cementing their hands into the floor. Team members from GMI, real estate developer Graftongate, Leonardo and its
Rapid erection of steel frame represents a key milestone in terms of the transformation of 10-acre brownfield site into a state of the art 210,000 sq ft logistics hub GMI Construction Group PLC has today provided an update in terms of progress on the construction of the new 210,000 sq
Leading real estate developer, Graftongate, has committed to delivering a new £30 million advanced helicopter logistics hub on behalf of Italian aerospace giant, Leonardo. The 210,000 sq ft project in Yeovil, Somerset, will see the consolidation of eight existing warehouses into one all-encompassing logistics hub. The single-site logistics facility will
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Work on the £30m #BuiltByGMI helicopter logistics hub on behalf of aerospace giant Leonardo Cements continues to move at a pace, with the site’s progress marked by the industrial partners’ next generation workforce cementing their hands into the floor. Team members from GMI, real estate developer Graftongate, Leonardo and its logistics partner Kuehne+Nagel all came together at the state-of-the-art facility in Yeovil as work moves to the next stage of construction before practical completion of the entire hub. Charlea Boucher, Project Officer at Leonardo Helicopters UK, cemented her hands into the ground of the 210,000 sq ft single-site logistics hub to symbolise the project’s nod to the future. “It has been amazing to see the rise of the single-site logistics hub during the final year of my business graduate placement at Leonardo in Yeovil,” said Charlea, who is a fourth-generation employee at Leonardo, now working on the AW149 New Medium Helicopter campaign programme. “My great-grandparents worked on-site a few generations ago in engineering, so it’s great that this investment in the site is future proofing Yeovil for years to come as I embark on the next stage of my career here at Leonardo.” Highlighting the construction’s commitment to future generations, is the development’s focus towards sustainability through a number of eco initiatives. Rainwater harvesting tanks for brown water services, full LED lighting throughout the facility and a heat recovery system in the main warehouse have all been included in the build. Additionally, there will be a bank of electrical vehicle charging points for employees and a new fleet of electrical vehicles. “The project has had its challenges, but we are where we are now thanks to the teamwork and collaboration between all parties involved,” said GMI Senior Project Manager Glenn Reeves. “Given where we are situated at the end of Leonardo’s campus, we had to take a number of things into account in relation to the surrounding area, and it was a big demolition job from the outset. “The first third of the operation involved clearing the site of the old buildings and addressing known areas of ground contamination that were highlighted during extensive pre-construction surveys. “We have maintained close communication with Leonardo on a daily basis as well as the local community and local businesses – keeping them updated with the progress that we are making.” Enthused by the number of apprentices working on the scheme, Glenn added: “We’ve been very fortunate to have had half a dozen apprentices on-site and it’s an area of the industry which Leonardo Cements and ourselves are particularly passionate about. “It’s good to see and we’re really keen to continue pushing this through the various trades.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Rapid erection of steel frame represents a key milestone in terms of the transformation of 10-acre brownfield site into a state of the art 210,000 sq ft logistics hub GMI Construction Group PLC has today provided an update in terms of progress on the construction of the new 210,000 sq ft single site logistics hub for Graftongate on behalf of leading aerospace engineering company Leonardo at its site in Yeovil, Somerset. Progress on the new £28M facility has reached a key milestone with the steel frame practically complete and cladding installation set to start shortly. The state of the art development which spans an area the equivalent of 2.7 football pitches, is scheduled to be completed in Q4 2022. The project sees the consolidation of eight existing warehouses into one all-encompassing logistics hub. This high-tech facility means a reduction in operating costs by having all logistics under one roof, and it maximises the potential of helicopter component logistics. Speaking about the progress being made GMI Divisional Director Andy Bruce said: “The team onsite has made significant progress since starting on site with the steel-frame all but complete and cladding looking to commence very shortly. The scale of remediation and site transformation that has to date been completed is nothing short of remarkable with a considerable amount of material recycled onsite and put back into positive use. The team have invested a considerable number of man hours working across a broad range of skilled trades. This includes the employment of a number of local apprentices on the project which will really intensify during the internal fit out work. This provides an opportunity to learn and develop skills in construction and represents a positive investment in the surrounding community”. Jamie Hockaday, Director at Graftongate also said: “This key milestone, with the erection of the steel frame, signifies a transformation of this 10-acre brownfield site. So far we have removed 490T of asbestos and recycled 2000T of hardcore as part of our commitment to delivering a sustainable facility. We are on programme to complete the erection of the steel frame and cladding in August prior to commencement of a £10M internal fit out and look forward to handing over the completed facility later this year. Adam Clarke, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters (UK), also commented: This project serves toillustrate Leonardo’sfirm and continued commitment to Yeovil and the airfield, which has been here since 1915. Our efforts to minimise our environmental footprint are constant and increasing. Here in Yeovil, the construction of this new single-site logistics hub will focus on supporting ergonomic working. Through the streamlining of processes, we will maximise efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Consolidating all of the logistics under one roof will enable us to increase efficiencies, complete tasks quicker, and achieve a reduction in operating costs. We are proud to be the UK’s only onshore helicopter manufacturer, the “Home of British Helicopters”, and this development further illustrates our commitment to British engineering and manufacturing” To watch a LIVE feed from the site click : https://gmi.reachtimelapse.co.uk/leonardo/helicopterhub/
Leading real estate developer, Graftongate, has committed to delivering a new £30 million advanced helicopter logistics hub on behalf of Italian aerospace giant, Leonardo. The 210,000 sq ft project in Yeovil, Somerset, will see the consolidation of eight existing warehouses into one all-encompassing logistics hub. The single-site logistics facility will help support Leonardo Helicopters’ global fleet through the warehousing of components and tooling in a state-of-the-art development, which has sustainability at its core. Its features include rainwater harvesting tanks for brown water services, full LED lighting throughout the facility and a heat recovery system in the main warehouse, which will be complemented by a modern office temperature control system. In addition, there will be a bank of electrical vehicle charging points. Graftongate will deliver the new development on a 35-year lease in partnership with a CBRE Investment Advisory retained pension fund. Leonardo’s logistics partner, Kuehne+Nagel, will operate the new facility under a ten-year logistics contract. Construction of the development will commence in August and is scheduled for practical completion in Q4 2022. Jamie Hockaday, Director at Graftongate, said: “We are very pleased to have collaborated with Leonardo Helicopters and Kuehne+Nagel to aid the delivery of the UK’s only onshore helicopter manufacturer.”
