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New warehouse pioneers system only used in China. Kate Bradbrook - in Northampton; Louise Parry Sat, September 26, 2026 at 10:32 PM PDT A new giant warehouse in England's logistics "golden triangle" is adopting pioneering technology previously only used in China, a company said. Yusen Logistics UK said it will use a robotics and four-way conveyor system at its new site on the edge of Northampton, which will also employ hundreds of staff. "There are some roles that robots can do better than people, but fundamentally robots don't work without people," said David Evans, the company's managing director. The Japanese firm opened its 1.1m sq ft (102,193 sq m) site with a fusion ceremony that included a traditional counting song, sushi, and fish and chips. Evans said 150 people were already working at the site, but that could rise to 500-900 as operations expanded. "What we're seeing here is a change in the skill set that we need in our industry. We have more technicians, more engineering roles," he said. Brian Luck, the site's general manager, said humans and robots would work closely together. "The system is purely designed to make the goods-to-person access, where staff can pick up to eight orders plus at any one time. "That is the first time outside of China that this system has actually been deployed here in Europe, so we're pretty much the pioneering site for that outside of China," he said. The centre will focus on "business-to-business deliveries", primarily working with electronics manufacturers, but also provide home delivery services. A quarter of the space will house pharmaceuticals, which need to be temperature-controlled. Next to the M1 motorway, the company has labelled the site as a "sustainable" distribution centre, complete with solar panels and rainwater harvesting. Yusen also hopes to utilise the Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Interchange in the future, which has suffered delays and setbacks in making it operational. The new warehouse is on the Segro Logistics Park, between Milton Malsor and Collingtree. Permission for the park was granted in 2019 for rail-served warehousing and ancillary buildings. People in nearby villages had campaigned against the plan, saying it would cause unacceptable traffic congestion and put green space and wildlife habitats at risk. Benjamin Bird, Yusen's business development director, said the company picked the site for two reasons. "One, we're in the [logistics] golden triangle - it kind of starts at Leicester, goes all the way down to Milton Keynes and across. "We've also got other sites in the area, such as Grange Park, Wellingborough, Malton," he said. Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Yusen Logistics opens £200m automated distribution centre in Northampton. Yusen Logistics has opened a new £200m Sustainable Distribution Centre in Northampton, representing one of the company's largest investments in its UK logistics operation. The 120,000sq ft facility is the largest site in Yusen Logistics' UK portfolio and provides 236,000 pallet positions across the development. The site is positioned to reach around 90% of the UK population within four hours, giving Yusen additional capacity to support customers across the country. The opening was marked with a traditional Japanese Kagami Biraki ceremony, in which company directors broke open the lid of a sake barrel using wooden mallets. The ceremony traditionally marks a new beginning and is associated with wishes for prosperity and success. The facility includes 90,000 pallet positions within an automated storage and retrieval system, supported by a major deployment of four-way shuttles and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Yusen said the four-way shuttle system is the largest deployment of its kind in the UK. The automation is designed to increase the site's capacity and operational flexibility while supporting future growth. Around 60,000 pallet spaces are already committed, with further capacity due to become available over the next 18 months. Yusen said the site is being developed as a growth platform rather than a consolidation exercise, with the investment intended to create additional capacity for existing customers while allowing the business to pursue new customers and sectors. The company also said the introduction of automation would not result in a reduction in overall employment. Existing staff are moving into new roles including system super-users, technicians and engineering positions, while further recruitment is expected as volumes increase. The facility has been designed around Yusen's sustainability objectives, including rainwater harvesting, infrastructure for future electric vehicle charging and a roof engineered to accommodate extensive solar generation. Yusen UK MD David Evans (pictured second from right) said the investment would provide the capacity and flexibility to develop existing customer relationships while also targeting new customers and sectors. The site took around three years to build and fit out, with Yusen describing the Northampton operation as a platform for the next stage of its UK growth. Tim Wallace Tim Wallace is the head of content for the Motor Transport and Commercial Motor magazines and websites. View full Profile

Yusen Logistics shortlisted for four Supply Chain Excellence Awards. * Business Times * September 19, 2026 Yusen Logistics has been shortlisted in four categories at the 2026 Supply Chain Excellence Awards, with two entries recognising automation introduced at its new Sustainable Distribution Centre in Northampton. The logistics company is a finalist for the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Excellence Award, Best Use of Robotics, the Procurement Award and the Warehouse Initiative Award. Its entries for Best Use of Robotics and the Warehouse Initiative Award are jointly shortlisted with warehouse automation specialist Logistex. The two nominations recognise technology installed at the Northampton distribution centre, including the use of Geek+ Shelf-to-Person systems. Logistex acted as systems integrator on the project, bringing together automated storage and retrieval, four-way pallet shuttles and autonomous mobile robots designed to transport goods to warehouse staff. The technology has been introduced to improve operational efficiency and inventory control while supporting the company's sustainability plans. David Evans, managing director of Yusen Logistics UK, said: "Being shortlisted in four highly competitive categories is a fantastic achievement and reflects the dedication, expertise and collaborative spirit of colleagues across the business, as well as the strong partnerships we have built with our customers and suppliers. "We are especially pleased to see our work with Logistex recognised in two categories. Successful innovation depends on close collaboration and for the contribution of everyone involved in developing and implementing these solutions to be recognised in this way is fantastic." The winners of the 2026 Supply Chain Excellence Awards will be announced at JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London on Thursday November 5.