Work on a new East Midlands distribution facility for fantasy miniature wargames firm Games Workshop has been completed ahead of schedule.
Last year, the Nottingham headquartered company behind the popular Warhammer games agreed a deal for a 177,500 sq ft warehouse at the 700-acre SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway (SLPEMG), near Castle Donington, in north-west Leicestershire.
Now, SEGRO has announced that work on the building, on which Games Workshop has signed a 15-year lease, has been completed.
It means the company, which makes fantasy miniatures, can start using the building as its main distribution hub from autumn.
Games Workshop will join a range of occupiers already committed to the park, where SEGRO has so far leased over a third of the six million sq ft of logistics space, having already completed deals with companies including Amazon, XPO Logistics, Kuehne & Nagel and Shop Direct.
Once fully let, East Midlands Gateway, which is close to the M1, East Midlands Airport and is served by its own rail freight terminal, is forecast to create 7,000 jobs on site, as well as support 3,000 indirect jobs.
According to SEGRO, as well as warehouse space, the new Games Workshop building features a suite of facilities to ensure employee wellbeing, including a dedicated gymnasium, shower facilities, cycle routes and secure storage space.
Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO’s business unit director (national logistics), said: “Despite the construction challenges presented by necessary social distancing guidelines in recent months, we’re pleased to have safely completed the development ahead of schedule while adhering to the new measures.
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“We look forward to welcoming Games Workshop to their new distribution hub at SLPEMG, where they will join a rapidly growing number of companies operating on the site.”
Last month, in a financial update to the London Stock Exchange, Games Workshop said that while the business had taken a hit from the coronavirus crisis, it still expected to make a profit this year.
At the height of the pandemic, the Lenton-based table-top gaming giant closed stores as lockdowns were enforced across the world.
Last month, the company announced that 306 of its 532 branches had re-opened.
And it said its warehouses and factory were also operating, although at a reduced capacity to comply with social distancing.