Nestlé opens £31m Derbyshire distribution centre

The site at Waterswallows, and home of Buxton Natural Mineral Water, received £31m investment to expand the storage facility and transform the operation on site. 

Construction at the site located on the outskirts of Buxton at Waterswallows, began in 2019 to extend the factory’s warehouse facility and create a new state-of-the-art logistics operation, bringing the distribution of brands Buxton and Nestlé Pure Life fully in-house. The new 14,000 sq m extension has also brought additional storage capacity allowing all products to be stored centrally including international brands S.Pellegrino and Perrier, reducing the use of external storage, cutting road miles and transport emissions annually by around 480 tonnes. 

With its increased storage capacity and scale, the site has introduced new technology and innovated its warehousing design, bringing in new Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), which are capable of moving pallets of finished goods around with no driver on board. This new technology has improved operational efficiencies and safety and at the same time, has created the opportunity to upskill local employees with new roles and responsibilities in managing the automated guided vehicle system.

Nestlé UK & Ireland CEO Stefano Agostini, said: “I am very pleased to have celebrated the opening of the Waters distribution centre with members and partners from the local community of Buxton, the heart of our UK Waters business. Investments on this scale rely upon sustained confidence, which comes from having the right business environment to operate in, the right people to work with, and the right products to offer consumers.
“The state-of-the-art operation we have opened is the result of strategic investment and effective project delivery by all involved. We hope for continued collaboration locally to help our business progress on its sustainable, regenerative path whilst delivering innovation, inclusive jobs and growth.”