US manufacturer signs on to £500m Doncaster iPort development

A major US company is set to move into Verdion’s £500m iPort logistics development in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

US manufacturer Fellowes has secured a lease for IP2b, one of the new speculatively built units at iPort, as its new UK headquarters and EU shared service building.

Fellowes manufactures air purification machines, office business machines, record storage, office health and comfort solutions, office and mobile technology accessories.

IP2b totals 144,373 sq ft, comprising 123,215 sq ft of warehouse space and 21,158 sq ft of office and welfare accommodation.

Fellowes is relocating from its existing building at nearby West Moor Park and is due to move into the new premises in November this year.

Michel van Beek, president of Fellowes EMEA and Asia, commented: “We are excited to move to this state of the art premises and A Grade business park.

“One that amplifies and aligns with our progressive development and will support our hunger to continuously improve our ability to deliver best in class services to our customer community whilst offering our employees a compelling and motivating working environment.

“This move will offer many advantages including excellent links to the UK rail and road network. It will offer Fellowes the opportunity to create a more modern and efficient workplace supportive to our future business needs and aspirations.”

John Clements, European Development Director of Verdion, added: “We are delighted to have secured Fellowes at iPort. Our confidence to commence the speculative development programme has been endorsed by this letting to such a highly regarded, international operator.

“Interest in the rest of the scheme is strong and we expect to be able to announce further significant lettings during the course of 2016.”

Verdion started the speculative development of the first two units, totalling 350,000 sq ft in August 2015 with completion due in May 2016.

iPort is a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) which will deliver over 6 million sq ft (570,000 sq m) of Grade A logistics warehousing linked with a high specification rail freight intermodal container facility providing rail freight services with continental gauge clearance to all major UK ports and the Channel Tunnel.

Verdion is developing iPort on a 337 acre site in Rossington, Doncaster. The site is linked with Junction 3 of the M18 via the Great Yorkshire Way which opened in February 2016.

Gent Visick, CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield are letting agents for iPort.