Retail major Lulu Group recently launched its operations in the UK with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art logistics and packaging centre under the Y International (UK) Ltd brand in Birmingham. The new facility was jointly inaugurated by Khalid Mahmood, an MP from Birmingham, and Jerry Blackett of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce with Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe, members of the Birmingham City Council, representatives of the business community, Lulu Group managing director Yusuffali MA, Group executive director Ashraf Ali MA, Y International director Althaf MM and operations director Tony Perks attending the formal inauguration.With an initial investment of £20mn, the 200,000sq ft facility will procure and export food, non-food, chilled and frozen products of UK origin to over 100 Lulu outlets across the Gulf.Apart from procurement and consolidation, the state-of-the-art facility will initiate necessary value addition through date coding and labelling for different countries, translation of labels, including Arabic, halal and other relevant certifications and export from the UK on a regular basis to their supermarkets, hypermarkets and other food service companies across the GCC nations. Besides, there are plans to source goods directly from major manufacturers.“We are delighted to set up Y International in Birmingham and hope that with our expertise in running world-class operations in multiple regions, we will add more value to the various related businesses operating here,” the Lulu Group managing director said.“We are working closely with Job Centre to identify, train and recruit high-calibre, multi-ethnic human resource to support our operations in the UK. At present, there are about 60 Britons employed; this will increase to 200 in time.” He also said negotiations were in the final stages to acquire a British mineral water unit.