Healthcare logistics company Movianto is taking two warehouses in the North West as part of a major expansion of its UK network.
The company has signed up for a 373,000ft² purpose-built facility at Haydock Green in St Helens as well as a 300,000ft² building in Knowsley.
Both are being let by Industrial North West.
Movianto’s Haydock Green warehouse, which will become operational in Q1 2019, will create at least 200 new jobs. It is located close to Junction 23 of the M6 and replaces an existing 85,000ft² facility.
The new warehouse will provide temperature-controlled storage of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare products.
In addition, it will create cross-dock functions for distributing products to the north of England, Scotland and both Northern and Southern Ireland.
The building will make up the largest part of the £62m Haydock Green development, which will also include a 125,000ft² speculative unit due for completion in June 2019.
In Knowsley, Movianto is taking 300,000ft² at a scheme called Titan, which is currently undergoing a £12m refurbishment programme.
Once completed, the development will provide 500,000ft² of modernised warehousing and Industrial North West has plans to develop a further 165,000ft² of new-build space.
Jon Thorne, a partner of B8 Real Estate, agents on both the developments, said: “The Haydock Green letting to Movianto represents the North West’s largest industrial letting this year and shows the strength of the market with planning only having been secured on the site less than 12 months ago.
“Titan will provide the best second-hand space of its type in the region. We already have strong interest in the balance of the space.”
Movianto also opened a 35,000ft² warehouse in Avonmouth, Bristol, earlier this year, replacing a smaller facility nearby.
This is part of an investment in its network by the company’s US parent company Owens & Minor and follows relocations in Kidderminster, Knaresborough and Airdrie.
By Simon Jack
