Leonardo has opened a ‘Single Site Logistics Hub’ for helicopter maintenance in Yeovil, replacing eight ageing buildings with an advanced new integrated facility; and reaffirming the facility’s green credentials, over 25,000m
3 of demolition material was reused in its construction.
The £30 million Hub represents Leonardo’s wider investment in the UK as the nation’s only onshore helicopter manufacturer. The company has built a 3,330-strong highly skilled helicopters workforce in Yeovil, including 430 design-focused engineers. The site also supports a UK-wide helicopter supply chain and over 12,000 jobs.
The new Hub, now fully operational, is equipped with LED lighting throughout, a bank of electric vehicle charging points for staff, and a brand-new fleet of electric commercial vehicles that will distribute components from the Hub to the company’s manufacturing facilities. There is also a heat recovery system in the main warehouse to complement the temperature control system in the building’s modern office facilities.
Competitive edgeThe South West of England represents by far the largest cluster of aerospace and related sector industries, capabilities, facilities and skills in the UK and the second largest in Europe. The new Single Site Logistics Hub will help to maintain the South West’s competitive edge in aerospace products and services, with the region’s rotary-wing specialism also spreading into fixed-wing and autonomous technologies.
Mr Mark Langrill, director Helicopters at DE&S (Defence Equipment and Support, part of the MoD and based in Bristol), said: “We welcome Leonardo Helicopters’ development of their new Logistics Hub and applaud their focus on sustainable design. Such investments in skills and infrastructure are an important means of contributing to regional prosperity and, in this instance, of improving support to some of the UK Armed Forces’ helicopter fleets, procured by DE&S.”
Adam Clarke, Leonardo Helicopters UK’s managing director, concluded: “We are proud to open this impressive new Single Site Logistics Hub here in Yeovil. This strategically located facility will be able to draw on the region’s robust supply chain and skilled workforce; and, by incorporating the latest digital and automation technologies, it will enable us to offer an even better maintenance service for our UK and international customers.”