Hermes to build distribution hub in Sheffield

Hermes is to build an automated parcel distribution hub located in Barnsley, south Yorkshire. Due for completion in 2022, the £60m development will be the largest of its kind in Europe. The 363,000 sq ft facility, named Colossus, will initially process 1.3m parcels daily, boosting the company’s overall capacity to 3.8m a day. The firm is also planning to invest further in its Nottingham and EuroCentral depots this year, adding automation and capacity to process an additional 280,000 parcels to the network annually. Martijn de Lange, chief executive at Hermes, said: “The online shopping boom shows no sign of slowing down and we have just experienced our biggest Christmas period to date, handling in excess of 49.1m parcels during December 2019 alone – significantly up from 39.5m in December 2018. “Our continued investment to strengthen our network and infrastructure across the UK is laying the foundations for future growth, creating more employment opportunities and confirming our position as an industry leader.” To send feedback, e-mail anna.ward@egi.co.uk or tweet @annaroxelana or @estatesgazette