East Mids logistics hubs make £1.5bn Heathrow shortlist
Five logistics hubs in the East Midlands have already made it through the first stage of the selection process to be part of the Heathrow supply chain for the airport’s expansion programme, which is expected to create jobs and opportunities across the region.
They include the Segro East Midlands Gateway Strategic Rail Freight Interchange near East Midlands Airport, Laing O’Rourke’s Explore Industrial Park at Worksop, the Tarmac Hindlow Quarry site at Buxton and Corby Land and Development and Prologis in Northamptonshire.
The sites are part of 65 announced by Heathrow.
Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said: “As the UK leaves the EU, Heathrow is an essential infrastructure project that will ensure Britain remains an open trading nation.
“As part of that, Heathrow’s third runway will rely on talent from all over Britain helping to create a national asset for generations to come. This means new procurement opportunities for businesses in every region, helping drive growth and investment into local communities in all corners of this country.”
The airport spends over £1.5bn a year through more than 1,200 suppliers across the UK.
To help smaller firms understand its procurement procedures and to become suppliers, Heathrow Airport has been hosting a series of summits up and down country to offer SMEs a chance to connect and trade face-to-face with existing suppliers and connect to growth opportunities locally, nationally and internationally.
Hosted by East Midlands Chamber, one such Heathrow Business Summit will be held at Risley Hall, Risley, Derbyshire, from 10am to 4pm on 23 November.
Attending businesses will be offered a chance to get a foot in the door of the supply chain, to promote the business and network with an array of exhibitor partners.
Chris Hobson, director of policy at East Midlands Chamber, said: “To coin a phrase, you have to be in it to win it. The Chamber works hard with many of its partners to make sure that smaller companies can be part of bigger supply chains, thereby securing jobs in the region.
“Heathrow has a huge supply chain and events such as this one provide invaluable opportunities to get a foot in the door. These are opportunities not to be missed. But we would urge firms to book now through our website as places are disappearing quickly.”
