Month: March 2019

Wincanton has been appointed by UK retailer The Co-op to launch and run their newest regional distribution centre in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

The initial three-year contract will see Wincanton manage all warehouse and store delivery operations from the facility to new and existing stores in the surrounding area, supporting The Co-operative Group’s continued growth and development as one of the UK’s leading food retailers.

The new Regional Distribution Centre, will store stock ready for distribution to stores, and is expected to create new roles for around 500 people, including 170 drivers.

The new agreement is in addition to Wincanton’s contract to service The Co-op’s logistics depots; Lea Green, Merseyside and Cardinal, Cambridgeshire. On those contracts, Wincanton employs 670 staff and a fleet of over 500 vehicles, making 110,000 journeys each year to up to 800 stores nationwide.

Combilift has received the Deloitte Platinum Best Managed Company award for the 7th consecutive year. The Irish forklift OEM won following a detailed qualification and judging process that evaluates the entire management team and business strategy, looking beyond financial performance at criteria such as operational excellence, strategic planning, governance and talent strategy.

Accepting the award co-founder and Managing Director of Combilift Martin McVicar acknowledged the customer focus that drives Combilift and reiterated the company’s plans for further global growth. “This award recognises the commitment that we in Combilift have made to growing our business in global markets. We currently export 98% of our production to 85 markets across world and are constantly innovating and developing new products in response to new challenges faced by our customers. Each year we invest 7% of our turnover in Research and Development. This Deloitte award recognises that innovation and commitment. Innovation is at the core of everything we do especially in the development of new solutions for our customers.”

The Best Managed Companies Programme originated in Canada in 1993, where it is the country’s leading business awards programme. In addition to Ireland and Canada, the programme is also run in The Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, with upcoming launches taking place in Germany, China, the Nordics and Scotland.
In a further recognition of the success of Combilift its Managing Director Martin McVicar has been invited by Deloitte to attend the inaugural Best Managed Companies awards in China later this month.

Pictured accepting the award are Robert Moffett, Technical Director, Combilift and Martin McVicar, Managing Director, Combilift with Simon Boucher, CEO, IMI and Danny Murray, Partner, Deloitte

Gramercy Europe, a major pan-European real estate investment fund manager specialising in logistics and industrial assets, has acquired two warehouses in Lyon and Rouen, France, for €37 million. It takes Gramercy’s investment in France in the past 12 months to a total of nine assets and a total investment value in France of circa €220 million.

Alistair Calvert, CEO of Gramercy Europe, commented:
“Occupier demand for modern logistics space continues to outstrip supply, underpinning significant rental growth and whilst e-commerce penetration in France is currently lower than other major Western European economies, we expect it to catch up in the medium term, which is why we have such a high exposure for our latest fund in this market.”

Both acquisitions sit firmly in Gramercy’s investment strategy sweet spot; Lyon is a fast-growing logistics hub forecast to see above average rental growth; whilst Rouen reflects Gramercy’s focus on assets that are critical to the tenant’s operations and close to significant population centres.

In Lyon, France’s third largest city, Gramercy has acquired a modern, purpose built, 22,567 sqm logistics facility, developed in 2012, for €22 million. As part of the sale and leaseback, Gramercy has secured a leading 3PL provider on a new eleven year, double net lease.

Lyon is a major French logistics location, located along the North-South “Dorsal” Axis and benefitting from a high population density and robust consumer demand. The property is in a prime logistics park located between Lyon City Centre and Lyon-Saint Exupery International Airport.

Gramercy has also acquired a 16,568 sqm warehouse (above) in Rouen, Normandy, from Groupe Financier JC Parinaud, for €15 million, let to one of France’s largest postal service companies, the government-owned La Poste. Constructed as a postal sorting facility, it functions as La Poste’s regional headquarters and main sorting and distribution centre for post and small parcels. This small parcel business line is expanding rapidly and is directly correlated to growing e-commerce penetration in France.

Gramercy Europe, a major pan-European real estate investment fund manager specialising in logistics and industrial assets, has acquired two warehouses in Lyon and Rouen, France, for €37 million. It takes Gramercy’s investment in France in the past 12 months to a total of nine assets and a total investment value in France of circa €220 million.

Alistair Calvert, CEO of Gramercy Europe, commented:
“Occupier demand for modern logistics space continues to outstrip supply, underpinning significant rental growth and whilst e-commerce penetration in France is currently lower than other major Western European economies, we expect it to catch up in the medium term, which is why we have such a high exposure for our latest fund in this market.”

Both acquisitions sit firmly in Gramercy’s investment strategy sweet spot; Lyon is a fast-growing logistics hub forecast to see above average rental growth; whilst Rouen reflects Gramercy’s focus on assets that are critical to the tenant’s operations and close to significant population centres.

In Lyon, France’s third largest city, Gramercy has acquired a modern, purpose built, 22,567 sqm logistics facility, developed in 2012, for €22 million. As part of the sale and leaseback, Gramercy has secured a leading 3PL provider on a new eleven year, double net lease.

Lyon is a major French logistics location, located along the North-South “Dorsal” Axis and benefitting from a high population density and robust consumer demand. The property is in a prime logistics park located between Lyon City Centre and Lyon-Saint Exupery International Airport.

Gramercy has also acquired a 16,568 sqm warehouse (above) in Rouen, Normandy, from Groupe Financier JC Parinaud, for €15 million, let to one of France’s largest postal service companies, the government-owned La Poste. Constructed as a postal sorting facility, it functions as La Poste’s regional headquarters and main sorting and distribution centre for post and small parcels. This small parcel business line is expanding rapidly and is directly correlated to growing e-commerce penetration in France.

With 43 hospitals and institutes, over 980 beds, more than 500,000 outpatient visits and over 42,000 inpatients, the University Hospital Zurich is one of the largest clinical operations in the world. Managing all of this effectively and for everyone’s benefit requires sophisticated intralogistics for medical and non-medical consumables. The construction of the new UHZ Logistics and Service Centre in Schlieren, which supplies the UHZ centre in Zurich as well as the external wards, made it necessary to put in place specially coordinated roll containers for distribution. The organisation found Wanzl Logistics + Industry to be the ideal partner for this task.

Nothing less than a highly functional all-rounder was needed. This is because the roll cages are used throughout storage and distribution logistics at University Hospital Zero, including in order picking, cross-docking, truck transport, and internal transport in the clinics. “The wide range of uses at various locations was of course a challenge. However, it was one we were able to overcome, thanks to our experience in the logistics industry and our flexible manufacturing expertise,” commented Markus Spengler, Head of the Wanzl Logistics + Industry business sector.

The transport trolleys have been configured both for the respective local circumstances and the various tasks they need to fulfil. Not only are the roll cages now utilised in all logistics processes operated by University Hospital Zurich, but they are also ready to be used for the distribution of goods to medical and non-medical end customers, as they fit easily through normal internal doors. Another particularly practical benefit comes from Wanzl’s robust and innovative drawbar design, which means the roll cages can be easily coupled with one another for movement in train. When used for transporting commissioned containers and commissioned piece goods, these are loaded into a truck, moved from central storage to the respective destination, and – after delivery – brought back with the empty containers. At the same time, the trolleys are designed for optimum utilisation of space in the truck, so that there is no dead space.

This is achieved using space-saving and easily lowered handrails, as well as standardised internal and external dimensions. The roll cages also have other features that are particularly important for use in hospitals. “Quiet and smooth running was a basic requirement for the roll cages, as they are also used in hospitals themselves. Patients should not be disturbed, and employees should be able to perform their work as easily as possible,” explains Markus Spengler. Ultimately, manoeuvrability and ergonomic design are of enormous importance for users. High-quality swivel castors with rubber treads, fold-out handles, and lightweight design optimise handling. Locking brakes on the variable castor wheels guarantee stability, and the open fourth side results in easy, effective loading and unloading of the cages.

The UHZ Logistics and Service Centre in Schlieren is a seminal step for the University Hospital Zurich – making it all the more important that the organisation has found a reliable and strong partner in Wanzl Logistics + Industry.