Leonardo Helicopters has officially opened its new £30 million Single Site Logistics Hub in Yeovil, marking a significant milestone in the company’s investment in the UK’s aerospace industry.
Located in the “Home of British Helicopters,” the state-of-the-art facility is designed to revolutionize the way Leonardo services and maintains its global helicopter fleet, enhancing efficiency and sustainability for both UK and international customers.
The new hub replaces eight older buildings with an integrated, high-tech facility that is built with sustainability at its core. Leonardo collaborated with logistics partner Kuehne+Nagel to incorporate green technologies and sustainable practices throughout the construction process.
Over 25,000 cubic metres of demolition material from the previous buildings were repurposed in the construction of the hub, highlighting Leonardo’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.
The facility’s cutting-edge digital and automation technologies will allow Leonardo to rapidly distribute helicopter parts worldwide, ensuring its fleet remains operational across the globe. The hub’s advanced logistics capabilities are supported by a highly skilled workforce, including 430 engineers working in Yeovil, proficient in the 87 essential skill sets required for high-value helicopter design and maintenance. With a total of 3,330 employees at the site, Leonardo supports a wider UK helicopter supply chain, contributing to over 12,000 jobs across the country.
Sustainability is a key feature of the new hub, which is equipped with LED lighting, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and a fleet of electric commercial vehicles to transport parts from the hub to manufacturing sites. A heat recovery system complements the temperature control in the modern office facilities, aligning with Leonardo’s broader Green Travel plan for its employees.
The South West of England, home to a significant aerospace cluster, stands to benefit from the new hub as it strengthens the region’s competitive edge in the aerospace sector. The facility’s role in maintaining the South West’s aerospace capabilities extends beyond rotary-wing technologies, with potential applications in fixed-wing and autonomous technologies.
Mark Langrill, Director Helicopters at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), praised the development, stating, “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 improving support to some of the UK Armed Forces’ helicopter fleets.”
Adam Clarke, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, emphasized the hub’s strategic importance: “We are proud to open this impressive new Single Site Logistics Hub here in Yeovil. This facility will draw on the region’s robust supply chain and skilled workforce, and by incorporating the latest digital and automation technologies, we can offer an even better maintenance service for our UK and international customers.”
The partnership with Kuehne+Nagel played a key role in the project’s development. Murray Gascoyne, National Contract Logistics Director at Kuehne+Nagel, expressed pride in the collaboration, saying, “Our shared strategic vision has come to fruition. This has been founded on, and testament to, our unwavering commitment to sustainability, the development of people skills, and the power of collaboration. We are very proud to be part of the Yeovil community.”
Leonardo’s new hub is set to become a landmark of sustainability in the South West and a key contributor to the UK’s aerospace capabilities, further solidifying Yeovil’s reputation as the home of British helicopters while supporting global operations.
Image credit: Leonardo.
