GMI Construction Group PLC has announced that it has been appointed by leading real estate development company Graftongate to build a new £30M helicopter logistics hub in Yeovil on behalf of aerospace company 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 state-of-the-art facility which is expected to be complete by Q4 2022 will support Leonardo’s global fleet of helicopters through the storage of components and tooling.
It will be constructed with a strong focus towards sustainability with various eco initiatives ‘built in’ to 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
Leonardo’s logistics partner, Kuehne + Nagel, will operate the new facility under a ten-year logistics contract.
Speaking about the project GMI Managing Director Andy Bruce said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive our first instruction by leading developer Graftongate on such a high-profile project. We look forward to working closely with Leonardo and its logistics partner Kuehne + Nagel to deliver a first-class development.
“GMI’s expertise in the construction of transport minded developments is an area in which we are seeing strong growth with us also onsite currently up in Goole, North Yorkshire for Siemens Mobility building the new £200M train manufacturing plant and rail supply chain village with the first trains to be manufactured the new tube trains for London’s Piccadilly Line”
Also talking about the project Graftongate Director Jamie Hockaday said: “We are very happy to have GMI on board and working on this important project which is of huge significance to Graftongate. Leonardo is the UK’s only onshore helicopter manufacturer, and we are looking forward to delivering this unique facility.”
