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Amazon goes for the ultimate in port-centric distribution
[ August 19, 2016 // Chris ]On-line retail giant Amazon is to open what is believed to be the UK’s largest ever warehouse at the Forth Ports-Roxhill Developments-owned London Distribution Park (LDP) at the port of Tilbury.
As well as its sheer size, the facility will be one of the most highly automated in the country. The Tilbury fulfilment centre will be equipped with the latest Amazon Robotics technology, similar to that introduced at its fulfilment centres in Dunstable and Doncaster earlier this year.
The new site is part of a programme by Amazon to increase the size of its UK fulfilment centre network and expand its product selection of more than 150 million items and support the growing number of independent small businesses selling on Amazon Marketplace. It will be Amazon’s 13th fulfilment centre in the UK.
Amazon will begin recruiting for a range of positions in Tilbury later this summer, including operations managers, engineers, HR and IT roles. Vice president of UK operations, John Tagawa, said the facility would create 1,500 new permanent full-time jobs.
Amazon announced earlier in August that it will also open a new fulfilment centre in Doncaster in summer 2017.
Forth Ports group chief executive, Charles Hammond, said: “This is great news for the port and for the Thurrock area. We are delighted that Amazon will be based at London Distribution Park (LDP). By basing itself at London’s major port, Amazon will save time and money and capitalise on our prime south east location and our excellent, well established logistical connections to the UK market.”
Roxhill Developments managing director, Jason Dalby, added: “The strategic location adjacent to the port of Tilbury is a major asset for businesses and we welcome Amazon to the development. LDP is currently the largest ready to go industrial development site closest to the M25 on the market. We have already secured Amazon and Travis Perkins and we continue to see an increase in the number of businesses looking for distribution centres located in or near a busy port.”
Tags: Amazon, Forth Ports, Tilbury