A global coffee giant with a factory in South Derbyshire is reported to be hunting for a large new warehouse near East Midlands Airport.
Nestle is understood to be in talks over a 600,000sq ft unit at the East Midlands Gateway – a 700-acre distribution park being built in, Leicestershire, near the airport at Castle Donington, online property news website Property Week has revealed.
The Swiss-owned business is staying tight-lipped about the plans but reports suggest it could help kick start other lettings on the site as it would be a prestigious name to move in.
Nestlé already has a distribution site at Bardon Hill, near Coalville, run by truck company Eddie Stobart and the Burton Mail's sister title the Leicester Mercury understands Nestlé would be switching that operation to the new site, where it is understood transport provider XPO Logistics would take over the running.
North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen told the Mercury: "Nestle have been in contact with me and have promised to keep me updated as and when they have more information on the plans between themselves and XPO Logistics.
"I understand the development is still in its very early stages however what is being planned is a state-of-the-art facility.
"Plans such as this show the confidence companies have in doing business in North West Leicestershire and in the UK following the Brexit vote."
It is not known how many jobs Nestlé would bring to the new site – which would be operated by its third-party XPO Logistics – or if new jobs would be created.
Nestle operates in Hatton producing both Dolce Gusto and freeze-dried coffee. The East Midlands Gateway is being built on a huge greenfield site by property investment and development companies Segro, based in Slough, and Roxhill, from Rugby. The three-year construction programme got under way earlier this year just north of East Midlands Airport.
The Property Week source said: "This will really get things moving and is a vote of confidence in the scheme. There's plenty of demand from companies in need of state-of-the-art logistics space, and East Midlands Gateway, being next to the motorway, train links and the airport, is already proving to be a draw for potential occupiers like Nestlé."
A Nestlé spokesman said it was working with XPO Logistics on a new main distribution centre for Nestlé UK but would not confirm if the new site would be in Leicestershire. But, all being well, it would start operating in 2019.
He said: "We are pleased to be working with XPO Logistics on plans for a brand new, state-of-the-art distribution centre to service Nestlé. The development is still in the early planning stages and we will be able to provide more detail in the near future."
