In the sprawling expanse of global commerce, an increase in the e-commerce market with more people ordering online can increase demand for warehouse space. This will lead the size of warehouses to increase, as well as the demand for warehouse workers. According to Internet Railing, by the end of 2023 there has been a 40% jump in demand for UK warehouse workers.
A warehouse is defined as a large building where raw materials or manufactured goods may be stored prior to their distribution for sale. A large variety of companies and businesses might need access to warehouses, especially larger companies that have grown enough to need more accommodating space for their products. As a result, warehouses are required to be a significant size so they can accommodate business stock.
Keep on reading to find out more about the world’s largest warehouse, updated for 2024.
Size: 4.3 million square feet.
Location: Everett, Washington, USA.
About: The Boeing Everett Factory tops the list for the largest warehouse in the world, and for good reason. The warehouse not only comes in as the largest warehouse in the world, but also the largest building too. The building is used for assembling aeroplanes run by Boeing, and was originally built in 1967. Its 30,000 employees support aircraft fabrication and production, product development, aviation safety and security and aeroplane certifications. The production lines move at a rate of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) per minute, and are guided by 26 overhead cranes that move along 31 miles (50 km) of track.
It has even been added to the Guinness World Records as the largest building, capable of fitting all of Disneyland or 75 football fields. The question from here is if it will continue to grow in size as their business evolves.
Size: 2.6 million square feet.
Location: Illinois, USA
In second place comes the John Deere Warehouse, located in Illinois. It distributes products as one of the largest distribution centres in the nation, and is likely to again increase in size as time goes on. The centre is used to supply parts to the North American market as well as dealers and customers around the world. The warehouse was opened in 1975, and has expanded to stock an estimated 500,000 different spare parts for the company’s products. The scale of this warehouse means stock is constantly being sent out to customers and businesses.
Size: 1.9 million square feet.
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
About: The Tesla Gigafactory is also one of the largest warehouses in the world, coming in at 1.9 million square feet, located in Austin Texas, USA. It’s an automotive manufacturing facility, and is relatively new with construction beginning in 2014.
The actual gigafactory only covers 1.9 million square feet of land, however with all its several floors this increases it’s operational space to an incredible 5.3 million square feet. The warehouse employs around 20,000 employees, and is set to continue to grow over the next few years.
Overall, we hope this article has been useful in showing some of the largest warehouses in the world, and where they operate. One of the most interesting trends includes the fact they are all located in the USA, and are operating as some of the most well known brands in the world.
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