Nestle UK moves HQ from Croydon to Gatwick
The company had been present in Croydon for almost 50 years, but decided it would be too difficult to redevelop the site and therefore has sought a more modern building.
The new site, No.1 City Place, is in a newly built business park in Crawley and is very near to Gatwick Airport with good links to London. The business park comprises from 18,772 to 126,573 sq ft headquarter offices.
Mod cons
Nestle UK said in a statement: “The company has been seeking a new Head Office in Croydon for several years. However, it has proved very difficult either to redevelop the company’s current offices, or to identify an alternative location that meets its needs.”
A Nestle spokesperson told ConfectioneryNews.com that the new headquarters was very different to its existing offices because it was spread across just four storeys, compared to Croydon’s 22 storeys.
She said the 840 office based staff in Croydon would be moved to the new site, but said the move would not necessarily mean new jobs would be created.
She was asked the cost of the investment but declined to comment.
She also refused to confirm what would become of the Croydon offices.
Paul Grimwood, Nestle UK & Ireland chairman and CEO said: “This move represents an exciting new chapter for Nestle in the UK. We are investing across the UK to establish our next generation of world class facilities.
Our new Head Office will provide a modern, efficient and attractive workplace for our people, in an ideal location,” he said.
Background
Despite statements from Nestle that said it was pushing for a move from Croydon, it was speculated in May lasy year that the company may keep its head offices in the area and move to a £500m development at Ruskin Square (Croydon Gateway).
Croydon Borough Council was keen to keep Nestle in the area as the company is one of the largest employers in the Borough.
However, Nestle’s statement last year said that “it has become increasingly clear that our current offices and the deteriorating environment around them do not provide a suitable base for our business or our employees in the medium term”.
It therefore said that it was “forced” to consider options outside Croydon.
