4 July, 2022

DB Schenker opens 50th eco warehouse

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by Keith McKinley

DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading global logistics providers, has reopened a sustainable logistics terminal in Tilburg in the Netherlands. After undergoing a modernisation in 2021, the terminal has now been awarded by Deutsche Bahn as the 50th eco warehouse for DB Schenker. Eco warehouses are part of an integrated concept developed by DB Schenker that enables warehouses to be operated in an energy-efficient manner, thereby improving the wellbeing of employees and greatly reducing CO2 emissions.

The international hub got a complete makeover, allowing for eco-efficient and more spacious cross-docking operations with modern technology in order to ensure a greater degree of environmental protection. Global standards for sustainable construction were used when the new terminal was constructed – i.e. standards relating to heat insulation, the use of renewable resources obtainable from the region surrounding the building, the installation of modern natural lighting systems for the well-being of employees, and the use of efficient HVAC system for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

Five beehives were also placed on the site in order to increase biodiversity in the vicinity. In addition, reduced use of terminal MHE (material handling equipment) via the semi-automation of goods handling has been achieved, waste management has been improved at offices, and charging stations have been installed for electric bikes and vehicles.

“Eco warehouses are the future of our terminals,” says Cyrille Bonjean, Head of Land Transport at DB Schenker Europe. “The facility in Tilburg is the latest example of how quickly we’re moving toward highly automated, eco-efficient freight hubs. This serves our strategic goal to become CO2-neutral by 2040 and it’s already having a positive effect on our employees, who are now able to work in a future-proof, professional, and safe environment.”

“DB Schenker in the BeNeLux continues to invest in a sustainable future,” says Pierre van Diesen, Head of Land Transport at DB Schenker BeNeLux. “The land transport branch office in Tilburg, one of the logistics hotspots in the Netherlands, is a strategic location within our European network. The short distance to the A58 highway is ideal and helps us reduce our CO2 emissions.”

The modernised terminal site has an area of 59,210 sq m. With 90 loading docks, the warehouse is fully adapted to cross-dock activities for pallet distribution and can handle over 20,000 shipments per week. The use of an embedded towline will automate the internal transport of pallets, thereby ensuring efficiency and safety. The new site infrastructure will be adapted in line with the growth of transport operations, thus ensuring that safety, security, and efficiency can be maintained in the future as well. The site employs a total of 350 people.

DB Schenker opens 50th eco warehouse

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by David Priestman

Thermo King opens R&D facility in Galway

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by David Priestman

Thermo King has launched a new research and development (R&D) centre adjacent to its sustainable manufacturing operations in Galway, Ireland. The R&D centre, with capacity for up to 70 engineers, adds to the company’s electrification design and engineering capabilities in Europe, which includes an R&D centre in Essen, Germany. It is part of the company’s more than $100 million investment to deliver fully electric products in every segment of the cold chain in Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) by 2023 and in the Americas by 2025 over time.

“Our new R&D centre generates another space for innovation, creativity and learning,” said Francesco Incalza, president of Thermo King EMEA at Trane Technologies. “The technologies developed on-site will add to the more than 40,000-strong fleet of Thermo King electric and fuel-efficient transport refrigeration units delivering food, vaccines, medicines and other critical goods across Europe and beyond.”

“Yet again Galway is leading the way in technology research and development. The unveiling of this new dedicated electrification lab is symbolic of Thermo King’s confidence in Galway, and the West of Ireland, as a good place in which to expand and lead the charge in the development of zero emission technology solutions,” said Hildegarde Naughton, Irish Minister of State. “I would like to congratulate the entire team behind today’s announcement, and I look forward to seeing the fruits of Galway’s newest specialised Research and Development centre.”

The centre also helps advance Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments including its Gigaton Challenge to reduce customer greenhouse gas emissions by one billion tonnes, while aligning with the European Union’s latest nearly zero-emission building (nZEB) standards.

“Today’s announcement from Trane Technologies follows the opening of its automation and robotics centre in Galway City last year, further aligning with IDA Ireland’s continued focus on sustainability and transformation,” said Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland. “I wish Trane Technologies and Thermo King every success with this expansion.”

“Congratulations to the Trane Technologies team on this new Research and Development Centre for Thermo King,” said Leo Varadkar, Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment. “With its rich talent pool and world-class education institutions, this is the perfect location for this project. The best of luck to the entire team.”

Thermo King opens R&D facility in Galway

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Körber acquires Siemens Logistics’ parcel business

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by David Priestman

The international technology group Körber has successfully completed of the acquisition of Siemens Logistics’ global mail and parcel business and has moved the of headquarters of its Business Area Supply Chain to Constance, Germany.

Siemens Logistics’ mail and parcel business is a market-leading solution provider for cutting-edge mail and parcel technology, automation and advanced software and serves the leading global logistics providers.

Siemens Logistics’ mail and parcel business will be one of the core businesses of the Körber Group. It will accelerate the Group’s growth prospects and complements its market offering as a global partner to the supply chain and e-commerce industry. Therefore, Körber Supply Chain’s headquarters will relocate from Bad Nauheim to Constance. Bringing the corresponding expertise together will further position Körber’s Business Area Supply Chain as a global leader for end-to-end supply chain technology.

Thanks to its complementary positioning, the mail and parcel business fits seamlessly into Körber’s existing supply chain offering and enables fast integration, ensuring business continuity. Customers and businesses worldwide will benefit from the Group’s expertise as a global partner ranging from single solutions to large-scale projects and intelligent hubs up to complete software solutions and entire ecosystems.

The parcel automation market is expected to grow double digit annually in the coming years. The rise in e-commerce and changing consumer behaviour continue to drive demand for automation and digitisation throughout the entire supply chain, and especially in parcel processing. Parcel volumes have increased rapidly. At the same time, demands are increasing in terms of delivery, shorter transportation times and sustainability.

Rami Jokela, Member of the Group Executive Board at Körber AG and Chief Sales Officer, says: “I’m very pleased to extend our core businesses with Siemens Logistics’ mail and parcel business. We will invest in this business and its solutions to support existing and new customers to meet rising new market needs and demands in sustainable supply chains and customer experience.”

“We are thrilled to move our headquarters to Constance, bringing the teams together. By combining our knowledge and passion for cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions, we are convinced that we will be market leader in end-to-end supply chain execution and system integration and shape the future of global supply chains together,” adds Dirk Hejnal, Chief Executive Officer at Körber Business Area Supply Chain.

Thomas Amend, CEO of Siemens Logistics’ mail and parcel business, emphasises: “We are delighted to become a strong part of Körber’s supply chain business. The two companies’ knowledge and solutions as well as the regional structures are a perfect fit. I am sure that we can make a significant contribution to strengthen Körber’s position on the way to become a global leading supplier for end-to-end supply chain technology.”

Körber will offer more integrated and automised solutions that ensure end-to-end connectivity, real-time visibility, speed, and adaptability at efficient costs. By incorporating technological innovations like artificial intelligence, robotics, as well as advanced warehouse automation and blockchain technology, Körber will further empower customers to better predict future trends and is well on track to become market leader in end-to-end supply chain execution and integration.

Körber acquires Siemens Logistics’ parcel business

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Kemi Shipping orders Konecranes electric forklifts

Posted on 4 July, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Kemi Shipping Oy, owned by Finnish Metsä Group, has ordered eight award-winning Konecranes E-VER fully electric forklifts including full service contracts for its operations in the Port of Kemi. Highly impressed with an E-VER delivered early in 2022, the Finnish logistics company is strengthening operations with an additional order. The order was received in June 2022 and will be delivered in the first half of 2023.

Kemi Shipping provides a range of harbour services for customers in the region. With Metsä opening a new mill for bioproducts in the north, Kemi Shipping is taking the step to invest in new lift trucks for its new warehouse operations. The port facility is big and will benefit from the eight Konecranes E-VER electric forklifts that will serve the mill with their product handling as it reaches full production capacity.

“Sustainability is at the core of our business, so the first thing that attracted us to the Konecranes E-VER was the fact that it is fully electric,” says Kari Lundell, CEO of Kemi Shipping. “We had one Konecranes E-VER delivered earlier this year for paper board handling, and we could see its advantages immediately. Besides eliminating tailpipe emissions, it offers outstanding efficiency, and our drivers love it. Once all eight E-VER electric forklifts are on-site, they will mark another big step on our journey to greater productivity and lower emissions.”

“Kemi Shipping has been a loyal Konecranes customer for over two decades, sharing our mutual commitment to the environment,” says Klaus Kaukovalta, Product Manager, Lift Trucks for Konecranes Finland. “Konecranes E-VER, that won the sawmill industry Product Novelty Competition for improving the environmental performance, gives us the perfect opportunity to provide Kemi Shipping equipment that meets their specific requirements in a demanding industry.”

The eight additional lift trucks are Konecranes E-VER 16-1200C forklifts, with a fully-electric driveline and a capacity of 16 tonnes. Lithium-ion batteries manufactured with clean energy power each truck, taking just 45 minutes to fully recharge and re-generating brake energy back to its battery. With less heat, oil and fewer moving parts, the electric forklift requires less maintenance, and produces less chemical waste. The trucks will be supplied with special bale clamps to securely handle wood pulp.

These Konecranes E-VER electric forklifts are also Smart Connected Lift Trucks, in which TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring follows each truck’s performance and maximises battery life through analytics such as charge optimisation and energy consumption.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalisation and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonise the economy and advance circularity and safety.

Kemi Shipping orders Konecranes electric forklifts

Posted on 4 July, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

AR Racking Appoints US Director

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by David Priestman

AR Racking has appointed Pablo Montes as the Managing Director of its North American subsidiary in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Montes has a long track record in AR Racking, having held the position of Technical Director for the past 13 years. AR Racking says his appointment will give impetus and greater coverage to projects in the US, a market in which AR Racking has reinforced its strategy with the opening of its office in North Carolina several months ago and which is mainly focused on the execution of large-scale storage projects.

“It is undoubtedly a difficult challenge because of its newness and the characteristics of the country and the market, but we have proven international experience and a sufficiently solid and reliable structure to expand horizons,” commented Montes.

So commences a new professional era in which Montes will bring to the fore his strategic vision, team management, product knowledge and long-term experience in management positions in AR Racking.

AR Racking has a commercial presence in more than 60 countries, with its own offices in the principal European and Latin American markets, as well as an extensive distribution network with which it works closely with to meet the storage needs of any company. Opening up the US market is yet another example of the international character of the company, whose export rate is around 85%.

AR Racking Appoints US Director

Posted on 4 July, 2022 by Keith McKinley

AR Racking has appointed Pablo Montes as the Managing Director of its North American subsidiary in Charlotte, North Carolina.

So commences a new professional era in which Montes will bring to the fore his strategic vision, team management, product knowledge and long-term experience in management positions in AR Racking.

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