SUNDERLAND has been chosen to host the first ever annual general meeting outside of Japan for global logistics group Vantec Corporation, which has created 230 North-East jobs in the last two years.

Executives from the firm's head office in Japan are among those attending the three day meeting this week.

The decision to meet on Wearside comes after a string of successes for Vantec Europe, which specialises in logistics for Nissan Manufacturing UK in the North East.

Vantec Europe in Sunderland opened a £22.5m, 420,000 sq ft warehouse on the North East Enterprise Zone at Turbine Park Sunderland in 2012. The facility, now operating at full capacity, was built to handle new work from neighbouring Nissan.

The AGM is being held at Sunderland City Council’s Washington Business Centre within the Enterprise Zone.

Vantec, which employs 1000 staff in the North East, also runs warehousing and logistics operations with Komatsu UK, Birtley and Cummins Engines, Darlington.

The success of the new warehouse played a key role in securing additional business with Nissan in Russia, where Vantec is working in partnership with Moscow-based Major Auto Trans to supply warehousing and logistics to the Japanese car giant in St Petersburg.

Managing Director of Vantec Europe, Martin Kendall, said: “Our closeness to Nissan is a key factor in our success. We handle 96 per cent of its logistics activity and services and employ over 750 people on the Nissan contract.”