Parcel delivery firm creates 100 jobs with new facility
Leading parcel delivery firm, DPD, has a agreed a 10-year lease for a 25,000 sq ft warehouse in Leeds.
The firm willrent Express House, a former DHL depot in Gildersome, from property developers and investors, Eshton, who acquired the site for an undisclosed sum in January, before it underwent a major renovation.
The unit which includes c.17,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space and more than 8,000 sq. ft. of office accommodation across two storeys, will supplement DPD’s purpose-built distribution centre in Morley, which opened in 2017, and will create around 100 new jobs.
The deal follows DPD’s recent announcement that It would create 6,000 new jobs in the UK and invest in infrastructure in order to meet the rise in demand in online shopping caused by Covid-19.
Eshton director, Jonathan Chapman, said: “Earlier in the year when we purchased this sought-after industrial space, we made a promise to refurbish it to the very highest of standards. We delivered on that promise and the result is that we have attracted the interest of the UK’s leading delivery service.
“Leeds is recognised as a strategic business hub for the North, given its excellent transport links to cities like Manchester and Liverpool. But to meet that demand requires the availability of high-quality premises, including industrial and warehousing space such as that we have now let to DPD.
“Despite the challenges COVID-19 has imposed on the wider business world, we are pleased to have made great progress with retained occupier interest and new growth opportunities in our property portfolio. And, as the economy starts to re-open, we will continue to identify additional attractive premises to acquire, refurbish and bring to market.”
Louise Ferguson, general manager – property at DPD commented: “We are experiencing the biggest boom in online retailing in the UK’s history and we are making an unprecedented investment in our infrastructure and people to ensure we can continue to meet the high levels of demand for our services. Parcel volumes have been up over 30% year on year, and we believe there will remain a much greater reliance on e-commerce in the future. This investment and expansion in Leeds will help ensure that we continue to be right there for our retail customers, alongside them, with the capacity to cope with the demand they are seeing online.”
The agents who acted during the let of Express House were Owen Holder and Philip Caspell from Holder & Co in Leeds and Sophie Angus from CBRE, also in Leeds.
