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New Northern Powerhouse Minister explores Sunderland site behind 120 new jobs

Vantec Europe Ltd is building a second major warehouse in Sunderland which will create 120 new jobs. The £23m building will become the largest-ever overseas project for Japan-based parent company Vantec Corporation.

Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton visited the site, alongside Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, Paul Woolston, chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Martin Kendall, managing director of Vantec Europe to see the pace of progress at the Washington development.

Groundworks have started for the 436,000 sq ft warehouse and office building at the new Sunderland City Council-owned Hillthorn Business Park, Sunderland.

The warehouse and office building will be completed in December 2015, and Vantec will begin recruiting at the beginning of 2016.

This is the largest of Vantec’s three sites in Sunderland. Three years ago, the company invested £23m in a 421,000 sq ft warehouse building which was opened in 2013, in a landmark location next to the A1231.

It also has a 148,000 sq ft warehouse at Cherry Blossom Way in Sunderland. In total, Vantec will have around a million square feet of warehousing in Sunderland once this project is up and running.

The size and location of the new build has been designed to support the long term strategic goals of Nissan. It is being built by GMI Construction UK.

Sunderland City Council and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership have provided support for the new warehouse. The City Council and Vantec have been working together on this project for well over a year to ensure that the development and jobs are created in the city. The North East LEP is supplying funding from its North East Investment Fund (NEIF), using Regional Growth Fund support.

Martin Kendall, managing director of Vantec Europe, said: “This is another major new project for Vantec and a great vote of confidence in our Sunderland operations from our parent companies Vantec Corporation and Hitachi Transport System.

“The investment in this new warehouse next to the Nissan car plant will underpin our position as the largest supplier of ‘Just In Time’ logistics to Nissan Sunderland plant.”

This is the first visit of James Wharton to Sunderland as Northern Powerhouse Minister. He said: “This is great news for Sunderland and shows the potential we have to attract businesses and create jobs.

“It illustrates the confidence of firms in the area and I hope it is one of many more significant investments to come.

“Supporting businesses and giving hard-working people the skills they need to succeed is at the heart of our long-term economic plan and we are determined to ensure more businesses can thrive across our region.”

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