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Yusen Logistics opens 111,000-sqm automated logistics hub in UK. September 30, 2026 Yusen Logistics has officially opened its new Sustainable Distribution Centre in Northampton, UK, adding nearly 111,000 square metres of automated warehousing capacity to its logistics network. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility has 236,000 pallet positions and combines warehouse automation with low-carbon infrastructure. It has been operational since June, with the official opening ceremony taking place in September. Around 150 people are expected to work at the site. Automation supports large-scale logistics operations. The Northampton centre is designed as a multi-user facility, providing logistics services for sectors including e-commerce, retail, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Its automated systems include Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and four-way pallet shuttles. Temperature-controlled areas are also available for healthcare and pharmaceutical operations. Yusen Logistics said the combination of automation and digital technologies will allow the facility to handle increasingly complex supply chains while providing customers with scalable warehousing capacity. "The Sustainable Distribution Centre has been developed to meet the evolving needs of customers and global supply chains," said David Evans, Managing Director of Yusen Logistics UK. Road and rail connections support distribution. The facility is located close to Junction 15 of the M1 and also has access to rail freight connections, providing links for domestic and wider supply chain operations. Sustainability features include solar power generation, rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and other low-carbon technologies. The building has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating. Yusen Logistics said the centre was developed with a net-zero carbon design and is intended to combine lower environmental impact with efficient logistics operations. The investment expands the company's presence in the UK while adding significant capacity to its European warehousing network. Yusen Logistics Europe currently operates more than 140 facilities across 17 countries.

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