Mars signs deal with logistics giant to create 550 East Midlands jobs

Consumer giant Mars has announced plans to create 550 jobs at SEGRO’s East Midlands Gateway site after revealing a a multi-year partnership with logistics firm DHL

Mars will build a new logistics and warehousing operation at the site, along with a second in London, in a £350m investment.

Mars UK transports over 1.2 million pallets of their products every year – which, if you stack those pallets on top of each other, is the equivalent of shipping the height of Mount Everest every other day. The new logistics operation will remove a million miles a year from roads – which is 40 times around the world or 8,547 times around the M25. The move will increase the firm’s warehousing capacity by over 50%.

Tim Walker, supply chain director at Mars UK said: “Our partnership with DHL will deliver a world class logistics operation that is sustainable, smart and agile. What is good for our business is also good for the planet. This project is a meaningful step in our sustainability journey as we look to create the world we want tomorrow – which we know starts with how we do business today.”

Jim Hartshorne, managing director, retail and consumer and Ireland, DHL Supply Chain said: “We’re delighted to be extending our global partnership with Mars in the construction and management of these sites. Our shared environmental commitments are supported by this investment and we are creating long term, exciting jobs in both of these communities. This project will be the foundation of the UK logistics chain for Mars for many years to come and we are incredibly proud to be selected to lead in this project.”

The East Midlands Gateway site will be operational from the spring of 2022.