April 22, 2022: GS Yuasa has broken ground at the site of a new HQ and distribution centre in the UK, the company said on March 23.

The 178,500 sq ft (about 16,500 sq m) facility at Dorcan, Swindon, will stock batteries and accessories to service all of the Japan-based battery giant’s markets including automotive and industrial applications.

GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK said the facility will have around 23,000 pallet spaces and stock hundreds of thousands of batteries for supply into UK and European markets — including its three core product brands GS Yuasa, Yuasa and GS.

The site build is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, with the warehouse and office fit-out process, testing, move and ramp up phases to follow. The site should be fully operational in the summer of 2023.

James Hylton, managing director of GYSUK, said: “The building is designed to accommodate significant growth over the next 15 years, in both existing and new markets.”

Hylton was joined at the ceremony marking the start of work at the site by the managing director and CEO of GS Yuasa Battery Europe, Andrew Taylor, GYSUK finance and operation director Paul McMullan, GYSUK warehouse and logistics general manager Andy Leach, together with Mehrnoosh Khoujin and Hazel Beasley from Hatmill — the company managing the project.