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The Prime Minister officially opened Sony DADC’s newly built Enfield distribution centre this morning, congratulating the firm on a speedy recovery.
The original facility was burned down last August during the London Riots. Sony DADC temporarily operated out of a Hoddesdon centre while it constructed an expanded warehouse on the same Enfield site.
Sony DADC began operating out of its new centre back in July –less than a year after the fire – but held an official opening party today, inviting Prime Minister David Cameron as the guest of honour.
Mr Cameron championed the distributor’s resilience and determination, congratulating the team on all they have accomplished in the past year.
"It’s a huge honour to come and open this incredible facility – although like some of the things I open, it is already working and doing a fantastic job," he said.
"I’d like to once again express my sympathy to all those who work here because of the massive dislocation that took place after the appalling fire.
"I have a secret to let you in on: I used to work for one of Sony’s competitors, Technicolor. So I know a little bit about the enormous logistics, challenge and scale of your business, and the dislocation that must have taken part after that fire must have been immense.
"So first of all, my sympathies, but second and much more important, huge congratulations on the way this business has responded so magnificently and built this new facility so quickly and got it up and running. It shows enormous ingenuity, talent and brilliance to get this done, so congratulations on what you’ve achieved."
Cameron also congratulated Sony DADC for returning to Enfield rather than seeking a new site, and once again declared the London riots to be "criminal acts, pure and simple".
"We should never let those events define our country," he said. "While several thousand of people took part in the Riots, many many thousands more took part in the clean-up operation, in cleaning up our streets, in making good what was done by those people – and we should remember that."
