Your Logistics Location

Gateway to London have done a lot of good work in the area generally in helping pick up the local economy through their connections in the local business communities and have introduced us to local suppliers which we now use and companies who we are now working for. We will definitely use Gateway to London again when we expand in future and start looking for additional space." Mac Apostolides, Director, Apostolides

London is one of the best connected cities in the world giving easy access to key markets via first class comprehensive rail, road and air transport systems. With a highly skilled workforce and an economy larger than Finland, Portugal and Ireland, the UK's capital offers unrestricted access to 459,500,000 consumers in the EU, making it one of the world's largest trading hubs.

London Thames Gateway has the UK's fastest growing transport infrastructure opening a world of opportunities for logistics with cost competitive industrial space right on customers' and suppliers' doorsteps. With access to an unparalleled Labour pool the region also delivers a competitive advantage for the many firms located here.

London Thames Gateway offers:

Access to markets - London and the South East of England is the UK's biggest logistics market with 20,000 manufacturing companies operating in the capital alone. Locating in London Thames Gateway enables direct access to customers and suppliers with 30% of the UK's population within a 2 hour drive as well as a potential workforce of over 7.6 million people.

Excellent Connections - London Thames Gateway has the fastest growing transport infrastructure in the UK. Our locations benefit from fast connections to the capital, particularly through the rail network, providing high accessibility for the region's major labour catchments. It also benefits from London's five major airports, rail links to Paris, Brussels and mainland Europe and is part of the most comprehensive public transport system of any city in Europe - 570 railway stations, 292 Tube & light rail stations and 649 bus routes. London is one of the best-wired global cities and was recently ranked the best city in Europe for the quality of its telecoms.

Cost Effective Location - A London location at a Leeds price. London Thames Gateway offers a broad range of affordable sites and premises with high amenity, both ready for occupation and being made market ready. The region also offers cost-effective solutions with a recent survey finding that logistics operations can make savings of 30-35% by locating in London Thames Gateway, when compared to West London, with the lowest overall employment costs of anywhere in London and one of the lowest in Southern England.

Apostolides
Apostolides provide commercial relocation and storage solutions to a wide range of companies, large, small, run of the mill and out of the ordinary. Based in East London, they approached Gateway to London to assist them in finding a new site in early 2004 following a recommendation from a partner company. In addition to catering for the growth of the business, the company had quite specific criteria for the type and location of the premises they were seeking. This included good access to the City and West End, a high building on a square site and excellent data communications to support their internet based storage system

Gateway to London carried out a thorough property search on behalf of Apostolides providing a number of options including the chosen site in Dagenham Dock. While the property search was being conducted, Gateway to London also engaged the LDA to discuss Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) grant support for the project, something Apostolides had not previously considered. The application was successful and the firm was awarded a grant for £100,000 in December 2004.

Following the property search Apostolides referred a company to Gateway to London with whom they were working in close partnership and who were also looking to move. Gateway to London was then able to approach the developer for the preferred Dagenham Dock site with a joint proposal for the two companies. The proposal was based on a phased occupation that proved to be an excellent solution for both companies and also met the developer's minimum occupancy requirements. Gateway to London also used its network of local contacts in the business community to introduce Apostolides to other businesses moving into the area as well as local service providers.

Apostolides moved into their new 25,000 sq ft head office and warehouse in December 2005 and the design and build phase for their partner company is due to start in June 2006. With business growing well, Apostolides have plans to start looking for an additional site and Gateway to London will be involved from the outset in this project. There are 25 jobs currently on site in Dagenham Dock, between 50 and 100 part time jobs have been safeguarded and there is now the possibility of many more jobs being created in the future.

Further Details
For more information on what London Thames Gateway has to offer, download our business proposition London's Market Gateway (PDF)