Amazon launches latest regional operation
The e-commerce giant’s £500m, 1m sq ft+ fulfilment centre at Leeds’ Gateway45 brings its investment in West Yorkshire to £1.5bn since 2010.
The three-floor Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre will employ more than 2,000 people by November this year, the firm said, with recruitment continuing for roles including engineers, HR and IT professionals through to health & safety and finance specialists, along with picking and packing.
The building is located in close proximity to an Amazon delivery station and an Amazon Robotics sortation centre, and less than 10m from a fulfilment centre in Wakefield which started operationally in October 2022.
Richard Thompson, Amazon’s Regional Director, said: “West Yorkshire is an important region for Amazon, with more than 3,800 small- and medium-sized enterprise selling partners, and I am delighted to confirm our ongoing commitment with this £500m investment.”
Mandy Ridyard, business advisor to the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Amazon’s multi-million pound investment in Leeds is a fantastic vote of confidence in our region and supports our ambition to drive economic growth.”
Gateway45, at Junction 45 of the M1, was initially taken forward by Aire Valley Land, a joint venture between Harworth and Evans Property Group, which made the 166-acre site development-ready over four years from 2015, following its designation as an Enterprise Zone.
Amidst a raft of plot disposals in 2019, the JV sold 45 acres to PLP, which then developed the initial Amazon facilities at the site.
Amazon is also busy in East Yorkshire, developing a £180m, 558,000 sq ft fulfilment centre at Wykeland’s Melton West business park, where it already operates a delivery station.
