New Nestlé offices to bring jobs, modern amenities

CONSTRUCTION HAS begun on Nestlé’s US$14-million building at the corner of Tom Cringle Drive and Mandela Highway in Kingston. The facility will be on 6.3 acres of land and house Nestlé’s corporate office and distribution centre. The aim is to hire at least 110 employees as Nestlé attempts to improve service to its customers and consumers.

The corporate office will be located at the front of the development in a two-storey building facing Mandela Highway. A social hub will be on each floor along with a centrally located space for meetings. Nescafé, Milo, Nesfruty and other refreshments will be available for employees and visitors alike. The distribution centre is set to be in a 6,000-square-metre building with the latest equipment and warehouse-management systems, including a radio frequency-formatted inventory management system integrated with the commercial operational structure.

For the sake of efficiency, the centre will house two kitchens. The first will be used for tastings, cooking sessions, and training by Nestlé’s consumer relationship team. The other will be for chefs and culinary experts to come up with new ideas and use Nestlé products for the food service segment, which is supported by the Nestlé Professional Business Unit.

Improving work/life balance and motivating employees remain top priorities for the company, so the new building will house a fitness centre, an after-care centre, lactation facilities and a staff shop. In addition, every area will be wheelchair-accessible through the use of elevators and ramps.

According to the company, protection of the environment is crucial to Nestlé. Rainwater will be harvested and recycled for irrigation and landscaping purposes and to save energy. There will be LED light fixtures, sectorial AC installations, insulated outer walls and shades on the windows to avoid interior warming.

The project completion is scheduled for April 2017.