Hermes Hits Peak at Hemel Hempstead
It’s always an exciting time when we handover a new building to a customer. It’s even more exciting, however, when the official handover ceremony coincides with the customer’s first day of peak operation.
Hermes, the consumer delivery specialist, recently opened its purpose-built parcel distribution depot at Prologis Park Hemel Hempstead, as it further enhances its network and infrastructure ahead of what is anticipated to be its busiest peak season to date. The new 80,000 square foot depot, which will lead to the creation of 50 new jobs, will help the company serve the London market and has the capacity to process more than 130,000 parcels each day.
The move to Prologis Park Hemel Hempstead further underwrites the company’s commitment to sustainability and green technology, which recently saw Hermes place the largest ever initial order of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in the UK. In addition to a 40kWp design rating photovoltaic array on the roof, the building also has a rainwater harvesting system which supplies grey water for toilet flushing, solar thermal hot water to pre-heat water, EV charging points and 15% roof lights to maximise natural light in the warehouse, with additional polycarbonate panels in the south elevation to provide further light.
The new 80,000 square foot depot will process more than 130,000 parcels each day
In common with every new building we develop, the new Hermes depot also had its environmental sustainability officially certified by The Planet Mark Sustainability Certification. In addition, Prologis Park Hemel Hempstead will protect 421 acres of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
Working with the environmental charity Cool Earth, Prologis will mitigate 100% of the carbon involved in the construction of the buildings on Prologis Park Hemel Hempstead by protecting an area of the rainforest in Papua New Guinea. This area of rainforest is part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy; a unique network of forest conservation initiatives which involves all 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
We joined Jon Ormond, Director of Hub and Depot Operations at Hermes and his team for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the facility. He told what the new, state-of-the-art building, means to him and how it will will help Hermes deliver on its promises.
