Work has now started on site for Premier Farnell’s high-quality 361,000 sq ft distribution unit at Muse Developments’ flagship Logic Leeds site.
A special turf-cutting ceremony was held on March 29 at Logic Leeds to celebrate the start of construction work on the state-of-the-art distribution hub. The warehouse build, which will be the largest ever warehouse development in Leeds, is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The main contractor is Derbyshire-based Bowmer and Kirkland.
The ceremony was attended by directors of Premier Farnell and Muse. Councillor Richard Lewis of Leeds City Council and Roger Marsh, Chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) were also present along with senior officers from the city council.
Nick Wilkins, Chief Supply Chain Officer for Premier Farnell stated: “The start of the warehouse build is a key milestone in this project and an important occasion for Premier Farnell. This warehouse will become the largest distribution centre in the Premier Farnell group and a hub for future growth, allowing us to target new opportunities from right here in Leeds. As our business grows and we take our place within the Avnet ecosystem, increased distribution capacity coupled with the latest technology means our customers can continue to rely on us to deliver products when they need them. This is a significant investment for Premier Farnell and we are delighted to be continuing our long-established presence in Yorkshire as we look forward to the future.”
James Scott, Development Director with national developer and regeneration specialist Muse, commented: “This is another significant milestone in the successful Logic Leeds story and it is exciting to be able to celebrate the start of work on site for such a prestigious tenant. Premier Farnell is a worldwide player in the electronics distribution industry and its decision to come to Logic Leeds is a testament to the qualities of our development. Premier Farnell’s building is going to be an important addition to a site which already boasts a number of other high-profile occupiers, including Amazon and John Lewis Partnership.
Cllr Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council Executive Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning commented: “It is great news that Premier Farnell is remaining in Leeds, protecting hundreds of jobs that could otherwise have been lost from the city. The Council has worked hard with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to retain the company in the city, and are pleased that they have decided to make such a substantial investment giving a strong platform from which to grow their business moving forward.”
Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership commented: “We are delighted that Premier Farnell will enhance their high service distribution of technology products and solutions from what will be the largest ever warehouse development in Leeds. Our key industrial sectors are changing rapidly and the ability to embrace and adopt fast emerging digital technology and the Internet of Things, whereby computing devices are embedded in everyday objects to send and receive data, will improve our productivity and define our future economic identity.
“This decision means Premier Farnell – a global tech leader – can sit at the heart of this opportunity and pioneer this strategy from Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone,” he added.
The marketing agents for Logic Leeds are the Leeds offices of Carter Towler and Knight Frank. Cushman and Wakefield acted for Premier Farnell.