NAI Gooch Webster - Industrial Development - Port of Tilbury, Fortress Distribution Park

Date: 21 Nov 2000

Forth Ports have announced the signing of a long term agreement with the Westerlund Group to build an 18,580 sq m (200,000 sq ft) warehouse for the storage and distribution of paper products at the Port of Tilbury on the only “Trimodal” distribution facility in the South East.

The new warehouse will be the first to be constructed on the Fortress Distribution Park and is the initial phase of a major intermodal distribution development for Port of Tilbury. Enhanced by the port’s excellent road, rail and shipping links and sited immediately adjacent to
the main dock estate, Fortress Distribution Park is ideally located to draw on the strength of Tilbury’s position as an international gateway to the
UK.

The development is seen as a significant step closer to Tilbury’s goal of becoming a major distribution hub.

Commenting, Charles Hammond, Tilbury’s Managing Director said: “I am delighted to have concluded the agreement with Westerlund. The distribution Park will further enhance Tilbury’s value and strategic importance as a hub for the movement of goods in the South of England and beyond.

“It will complement our programme of sustained growth within the Port as a whole.”

Westerlund UK, a subsidiary of Antwerp-based Westerlund Group, has been operating in the Port of Tilbury since 1995 and provides a comprehensive range of logistics services for paper and forest products.

Joint agents on the Fortress Distribution Park are Glenny and NAI Gooch Webster. Commenting on the deal, Brian McGuckin of NAI Gooch Webster said:

“This is the first of a number of significant distribution deals in the pipeline at the Fortress Distribution Park.

“The site - which is 40 acres in total - has consent for a further 600,000 sq ft of development, including the potential of a single building up of to 500,000 sq ft. We are already in discussions with interested parties for the space available.”

The new facility will be built immediately adjacent to the port’s Intermodal rail terminal, affording the capability of a dedicated rail siding -enabling future business developments as and when required.

Concludes Brian McGuckin: “Occupiers are quite literally queuing up to take advantage of the fact that Tilbury offers the only Trimodal distribution solution in the South East of England. Many logistics businesses are now realising that they have to build in additional transport options to their long term business strategies, and sites like Fortress Park can help them achieve that.”

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