Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI), the Chinese construction and engineering firm, has broken ground on ALPHA, a new £15million logistics facility at Airport City Manchester, which is set to create 40 construction jobs at the £1billion development.
BCEGI’s UK division was joined on-site by Mr Xing Yan, managing director at BCEG International Investments, to launch the start of construction at ALPHA. The work follows continued positive momentum on-site at Global Logistics, following the recent 654,000 sq ft deal with Amazon which will create up to 1,500 jobs at their new fulfilment centre.
Mr Xing said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the development. We’ve reached a crucial stage at the project and we’re now on-site getting on with construction at ALPHA.
“We are seeing high levels of interest in ALPHA from firms keen to take advantage of the exceptional transport and business connectivity on offer here.”
Part of the Manchester Enterprise Zone, ALPHA at Airport City Manchester will help BCEGI to achieve its job creation target to go from a workforce of 60 up to 100. ALPHA is being built at the heart of Airport City’s Global Logistics site and will offer units from 17,500 sq ft to 35,000 sq ft, arranged in a single terrace.
With foundations in China, BCEGI is now focussed on growing its global presence, having recently established its new European headquarters in the UK at Airport City Manchester.
Mr Yew Cheong Lau, executive director at BCEGI UK, said: “ALPHA is a 130,000 sq ft building which has been specifically designed to meet growing demand for logistics units among small and medium-sized businesses.”
ALPHA has direct access onto the M56 and is located next to Manchester Airport’s World Freight Terminal, which already handles 100,000 tonnes of cargo every year.
Each unit will have its own fenced and gated yard with dedicated car parking and HGV delivery access. The warehouse accommodation will be finished to shell condition, with each unit having around five per cent of office space on the first floor level.
BCEGI is as one of the Airport City Manchester’s construction partners alongside Carillion, the integrated support services firm. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) complete the joint venture partnership.
Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton said: “The Northern Powerhouse is about attracting and driving investment so that we can unlock our economic potential and better compete in the global market.
“This is another positive step on that journey, with the creation of good new jobs and a world-leading facility that will boost small and medium-sized businesses across Manchester and beyond.”