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Tag: Distribution Centre

Garbe acquires brownfield site in Salzgitter

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH has acquired an industrial wasteland in Salzgitter (Lower Saxony, Germany). Following a comprehensive redevelopment of the site, a high-quality and sustainable new building for the storage and handling of industrial goods is to be constructed on the 51,000 sq m site. The logistics property is scheduled to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2024. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is investing around €43m in the conversion project.

The Hamburg project developer took over the property from Alstom. The deal came about as a result of the good cooperation between the two companies. Garbe Industrial Real Estate had previously realised a 30,000 sq m logistics property for the rail vehicle manufacturer on its factory premises in Salzgitter in 2014. The area now acquired is in the immediate vicinity.

Before construction can begin, the site must be cleared of contamination – including foundations of former buildings, concrete slabs, shafts and possibly also explosive ordnance. The potentially contaminated soil will be carefully removed and professionally disposed of. Then a levelling layer is applied and its surface is completely sealed.

“In the process, we bring our many years of experience in dealing with so-called brownfields to bear,” emphasises Adrian Zellner, Member of the Executive Board at Garbe Industrial Real Estate. “With the revitalisation of this area, which has been lying fallow for years, we are enhancing the value of the soil enormously, raising previously unused property reserves without sealing valuable green spaces and thus creating significant settlement potential.”

The complex conversion process is completed by the construction of a modern logistics property with a total area of 32,000 sq m in three fire compartments. For protection, a foil is drawn under the floor slab so that substances that may be hazardous to water can also be stored. At least 28 dock levellers and three ground-level sectional doors are planned for loading and unloading trucks. There will be 140 parking spaces for cars and six for trucks in the outdoor area. Some of them will be pre-equipped with e-charging stations.

A photovoltaic system will be installed on the entire roof area to generate renewable energy. Several green spaces are planned on the property. In addition, the logistics property will not be supplied with fossil fuels. This is entirely in line with Garbe’s corporate strategy of realising project developments with the highest sustainability standards, taking into account all ESG criteria. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is therefore also striving for certification of the property to at least the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council.

The location is characterised by its central position south of the city triangle of Hanover, Wolfsburg and Brunswick. It is only a few kilometres to the A 39 motorway, which connects Salzgitter in a northerly direction with Wolfsburg and the A 2 Dortmund – Berlin motorway, and in a southerly direction with the A 7 Hamburg – Ulm motorway. There is also a connection to the public transport system. The nearest bus stop is 200m away.

Initial talks with potential users of the logistics centre are already underway. Garbe Industrial Real Estate expects the centre to be let during the construction period.

 

Union Industries increases stock levels

Posted on by David Priestman

Union Industries, the Leeds, UK-based manufacturer of high-speed industrial doors, has increased its stock levels even further to allow minimal lead times for production of its door range and replacement parts.

The driver behind this has been the 12% increase Union has seen in orders from companies looking to replace foreign-made doors.

A common problem with some manufacturers of fast rolling shutter doors is the lack of spare or replacement parts with many having particularly long lead times – one recent customer citing 21 weeks for spares to arrive into the UK from Germany. This problem has been increasing in recent years due to factors such as Brexit with some doors installed in the UK manufactured in Europe, it leads to both new and replacement parts being harder to source.

However, Union Industries prides itself on its low lead time and ensures there are sufficiently high stock levels to manufacture a minimum of 25 doors at any one time. Stock is replenished daily and spare parts for standard door servicing are always readily available for immediate dispatch.

Union says parts that require more bespoke manufacturing can be entered into production within a matter of days, meaning that disruption can be kept to an absolute minimum.

Union’s Operations Director, Tony Metcalfe, said: “We have seen an increase in orders to replace foreign import doors in the UK which this is mainly down to the long lead times for spares and repairs, along with more demand for our reliable and British manufactured doors.

“We maintain high stock levels to ensure we have a consistently efficient service line and can deliver replacement parts to our customers within 24 hours of the initial order in many cases.”

Alan Hirst, Sales Director, Union Industries, said: “Our business has always tailored itself to the needs of our customer base. We pride ourselves on listening to what our customers’ challenges are and helping them with the right solution, so this is a fantastic example of how Union Industries is yet again leading the way in the supply chain.

“We are proud to be a British manufacturer of robust and reliable industrial rapid roller doors that have the most minimal downtime due to the quality of the design and build as well as our ability to service and replace parts rapidly.”

 

XPO receives BRCGS ‘AA’ accreditation for Arla facility

Posted on by Keith McKinley

XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of freight transportation services, has again received BRCGS ‘AA’ accreditation for satisfying rigorous safety and compliance standards at the Arla Foods Ltd dairy plant in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Arla Foods, a centuries-old dairy cooperative, is the largest supplier of fresh milk and cream in the UK.

XPO earned its initial BRCGS accreditation for Aylesbury in 2021, after being awarded a contract by Arla Foods to store and deliver over 14 million litres of milk per week to retailers in South East England. The two companies then expanded their relationship to include a distribution centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, where XPO manages transport. XPO received BRCGS accreditation for Hatfield in 2021, and recently completed the 2022 audit.

Dan Myers, managing director, transport – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “The Arla brands stand for food quality and safety, and their reputation is built upon that. Arla and XPO strive for the best standards recognised by the BRCGS ‘AA’ accreditation. We focus on this crucial goal as a joint team effort.”

BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance) was founded in 1996 to harmonise safety standards across the supply chain. BRCGS global benchmarks for food safety, consumer product safety, packaging materials, storage and distribution, ethical trading and other standards help assure consumers that products are safe, legal and of high quality.

XPO provides technology-enabled transport solutions for customers across a range of sectors in Europe, including chilled and ambient food and beverages, retail, trade and industrial goods, and e-commerce, as well as world-class events, such as the Tour de France.

Prologis breaks BREEAM record

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A brand new distribution centre developed and owned by Prologis UK has achieved the highest sustainability rating of any project in its category.

Completed recently, the 233,860 sq ft building – known as DC3a – achieved a BREEAM rating of 88.8% (Outstanding). This is the highest rating recorded for a new building assessed under the BREEAM 2018 New Construction Manual (Industrial – Shell and Core).

Completed in July 2022, DC3a was built by Prologis UK in partnership with lead contractor, VolkerFitzpatrick. BREEAM has provided a holistic assessment of the development, based on categories focussing on innovation, health & wellbeing, energy, materials, waste, water, transportation, land use & ecology and pollution.

The speculative development of DC3a, means that Prologis UK now has more than 770,000 sq ft of logistics space at Maylands Business Park. This brings the company’s total development footprint in Hemel Hempstead to more than 1.5m sq ft

Martin Cooper, Vice President, development management at Prologis UK, said: “We are very proud of this record-breaking BREEAM rating, which underlines the care and commitment that we give to developing buildings that really are best in class and built for the long term. The property has attracted great market interest, not just due to its sustainability credentials, but also due to its excellent location to the east of Hemel Hempstead, close to Junction 8 of the M1, with access to London and the South East.”

Stuart Deverill, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s building division, said: “It is extremely satisfying to know that the efforts made to construct this building in the most sustainable way possible have been recognised. This couldn’t have been achieved without Prologis UK’s sustainability vision, and the commitment of our construction partners right across the supply chain.”

 

Bis Henderson Space named as a CCS supplier

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Bis Henderson Space has been named as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Storage, Distribution, Kitting and Associated Services (RM6282) Framework Agreement.

Launched in February 2022, the commercial agreement will last for four years and offers public sector organisations in the UK, such as central and local government authorities, emergency services and the NHS, access to a range of storage, distribution and kitting solutions and services under one agreement. The agreement includes UK and international storage and transportation, quality control of items and specialist collection and delivery services.

What does this mean for the public sector?

The Crown Commercial Service is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office; supporting the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring goods and services.

In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

For public sector organisations, the CCS agreement delivers significant and sustainable cost savings through its commercial activity and aggregated procurement arrangements. Suppliers are carefully evaluated during the tender process, and pre-agreed terms and conditions offer clients sound contractual safeguards.

The framework is available to all central Government departments and other UK public sector bodies, including local authorities, charities, executive agencies, the health sector, police authorities, fire and rescue services, education providers and the devolved administrations.

Steve Purvis (pictured), Managing Director at Bis Henderson Space, commented, ”We’re delighted to be named as a supplier on this framework and to have the opportunity to build on our excellent track record working with Government and the Public Sector. As an SME, this framework agreement allows us to open up our services in storage, kitting and transport to Crown Commercial Services customers, which is pivotal to our business direction and growth.”

Bis Henderson Space has been awarded a position on the following lots for RM6282:

  • Lot 3a – Storage
  • Lot 3b – Kitting and Fulfilment Solutions and Service
  • Lot 3c – Transport and Distribution

Garbe develops logistics centre near Jena

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH is continuing its expansion course. In Bollberg near Jena (Thuringia, DE), the Hamburg-based real estate developer will build a logistics centre with a total area of 35,500 sq m on a 65,000 sq m site. Construction is scheduled to start in December 2022, with an investment of around €48m.

The property is located in the industrial park of Bollberg, a district of Stadtroda (Saale-Holzland district) in Thuringia. “A location for a logistics centre could hardly be better,” emphasises Adrian Zellner, Member of the Executive Board at Garbe Industrial Real Estate. The Hermsdorfer Kreuz interchange, which connects the A4 Bad Hersfeld−Dresden motorway with the A9 Berlin−Munich, is seven kilometres away. Both motorways are among the most important north-south and west-east axes in Germany. The A4 runs virtually within sight of the business park. The Stadtroda junction is easily reached after a one kilometre ride without having to pass through the town.

Proximity to Jena also played a role in the property purchase: “The city has made a name for itself as a high-tech location. Both international corporations and small and medium-sized companies are represented in Jena,” says Zellner. “Demand for developed land is correspondingly high. That’s why we decided to develop the logistics centre with a view to the future.”

A multi-user logistics centre with a hall area of 31,500 sq m is planned. The hall will be designed so that it can be divided into units of around 10,000 sq m or more. In addition, there will be 1,400 sq m for offices and social rooms as well as 2,500 sq m of mezzanine space. The new unit will be equipped with 30 dock levellers and three ground-level gates. Parking spaces for 117 cars and four trucks will be provided outside.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is developing the property together with Terrae Immobiliengesellschaft mbH. A major focus of the construction is the consideration of numerous sustainability standards. Benchmark is the fulfilment of the Efficiency House Class 55 standards of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau / Reconstruction Loan Corporation (Kfw). For an example, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof to generate renewable energy. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is aiming for the property to be certified according to the gold standard of the German Sustainable Building Council.

Talks with potential tenants are already underway. “There is a lot of interest. That’s why we expect full occupancy during the construction period,” says Zellner. The property is scheduled for completion in December 2023.

 

Prologis acquires London logistics centres

Posted on by David Priestman

Prologis, a leading owner and developer of UK logistics real estate, has continued its focus of strategic investments in London and the South East UK markets with the acquisition of two additional sites at Erith (pictured) and Croydon.

Totalling over 330,000 sq ft on 20.4 acres, the two distribution centres are let to Ocado and Royal Mail and form key parts of their distribution networks, being two of the largest low-density last-mile logistic facilities inside the M25.

The assets, on Church Manorway, Erith and Beddington Farm Road, Croydon are located in two London markets that continue to see excellent customer demand whilst servicing significant, growing conurbations.

Erith is considered a major growth area for jobs, transport and industry, providing easy access to central London and M25 connectivity to the wider motorway network, whilst Croydon is a densely populated south London location popular with a number of last mile delivery customers. The purchases of both assets will add to Prologis’ existing holdings in these markets.

Paul Weston, Regional Head of Prologis UK, said: “Our purchase of these two prime distribution facilities shows our continued confidence in the UK’s logistic sector and reconfirms our strategic focus in London and the South East. We welcome Ocado as a new customer and look forward to working with them. It’s great to expand our strong relationship with Royal Mail at a location well known to both parties.”

Erith was acquired from a UK fund, whilst Croydon was acquired from a segregated mandate client of CTI Real Estate. Prologis was advised by JLL on Erith and Knight Frank on Croydon. Gerald Eve and Acre Capital advised the vendors.

Matthew Howard, Fund Manager at CTI Real Estate Partners, said: “We are delighted with the sale of Mail Centre Croydon, which continues our client strategy of recycling capital into a more diversified pool of higher-yielding assets.”

 

Northants logistics units attract growing businesses

Posted on by Keith McKinley

St. Modwen Logistics, one of the UK’s leading logistics developers and managers, has announced that two growing businesses – bespoke freight company Transglobal and leading paper merchant Premier Paper – have moved into St. Modwen Park at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, bringing much needed local investment and jobs.

St. Modwen Park at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough is located within the logistics “Golden Triangle”, offering easy access to the A14 and A45 for east to west country connectivity, and quick links to the A1 and M1 road network. Stanton Cross is a flagship mixed-use development district for Northamptonshire which is gaining more than £1bn of investment in Wellingborough by Stanton Cross Developments LLP. Once finished it will feature 1.5 million sq ft of high-specification industrial, logistics, leisure, retail and office space, in addition to opening up access to modern transport links and infrastructure. Furthermore, it will provide 3,650 new homes along with community facilities – offering a large local workforce for businesses looking to operate in or relocate to the area.

St. Modwen Park at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough offers 314,500 sq ft of sustainable warehouse space, initially comprising three buildings – 96,000 sq ft, 43,500 sq ft and the development of a further 175,000 sq ft speculative unit, which will start in Q3 2022. The initial phase has been delivered by principal building contractor, MCS Group.  Future developments of 600,000 sq ft across three parcels of land will offer additional logistics space for the area.

Keir Edmonds, Group Managing Director of MCS Group, said: “We are very proud of this project. We have delivered two very high-quality warehouse units on time for St. Modwen, according to the 39-week programme, at this impressive development at Stanton Cross. As a result, we have a very happy client and two tenants who are now able to commence the fit-out process right on schedule.”

Transglobal signed an agreement for the 96,000 sq ft building, which is a multi-use warehouse used to provide freight solutions by land, sea and air. The move will aid its rapid business growth and accommodate its customers’ evolving needs.

The 43,500 sq ft building has been let to wholesale paper and materials supplier Premier Paper. The unit will allow the company to expand into a larger warehouse space, following the diversification of the business. It will also facilitate its growth, and continue providing stocks of paper, print substrates and packaging to customers across the UK.

The completed buildings, at St. Modwen Park at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, come with sustainability benefits including features such as PV solar panels, electric vehicle (EV) charging points and will deliver BREEAM Very Good and EPC A accreditations. Infrastructure has been installed to accommodate up to 20% of the parking spaces, which will be served by EV chargers.

Polly Troughton, Managing Director at St. Modwen Logistics, said: “St. Modwen Park at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, is set to become a thriving commercial hub and we’re delighted to have created the space to accommodate the needs of Transglobal and Premier Paper and offering larger warehouse space which will enable them to continue to grow and succeed.

“The park is set to deliver new job opportunities and provide sustainable warehouse space for rapidly expanded businesses such as these. We welcome them to Wellingborough, which will help to support the town’s wider regeneration.”

Steven Knight, Managing Director at Transglobal, said: “Moving into this additional facility at Wellingborough will not only support our business growth and expansion, but also help us to accommodate the growth of our clients.”

David Jones, Group Marketing Director at Premier Paper Group, said: “We’re pleased to have signed a deal with St. Modwen Logistics.  This new high quality and flexible warehouse facility becomes our latest “flagship” branch which will support our future growth further cementing our position as being one of the most successful businesses of our type in Europe.”

Prologis Park Hams Hall fully occupied

Posted on by David Priestman

Prologis, one of the UK’s leading developers of logistics property, has successfully preleased all of speculatively built Prologis Park Hams Hall with final unit, DC4, being let to West Midlands-based AMG Logistics on a 15-year lease.

The full occupancy of the Park, ahead of practical completion later this summer, demonstrates the site’s strength and broad appeal particularly to both automotive and logistics sectors.

Spanning 85,000 sq ft, DC4, like all Prologis units, has sustainability built into the fabric of the building; Net zero carbon in construction, BREEAM-rated ‘Excellent’ and a projected EPC A rating.

This transaction follows on from Britishvolt recently preleasing Hams Hall DC2, a customer leading the way in sustainable, low-carbon battery innovation, and Hams Hall DC3 being snapped up by international multi-modal logistics operator, LTS Global Solutions.

Located only 10 miles from Birmingham city centre and one mile from M42 Junction 9, Prologis Park Hams Hall is strategically located to offer its customers prime accessibility in and around the Midlands, and further afield.

Andrew Griffiths, Managing Director, AMG Logistics, said: “We are delighted to secure DC4 Hams Hall to help facilitate our growth plans and take our business to the next level. Operating from a highly sustainable unit was a key factor for our customers and Prologis Park Hams Hall ticked all the boxes in that regard. It has been great to work with the Prologis team to get the deal over the line.”

Tom Price, Director, Capital Deployment and Leasing, Prologis UK, added: “Letting DC4 prior to its completion is testament to appetite within the market for top quality, well-located logistics property in and around the Midlands. Reaching full occupancy is a landmark moment for Hams Hall and we’re all looking forward to welcoming AMG Logistics and our other new customers to the park once the buildings are complete.”

Danny Nelson, Head of Industrial, Logistics and Distribution, Winvic Construction Ltd, concluded: “Our team has been working hard on site to deliver a further three high quality industrial facilities at Hams Hall for our client, Prologis. We are delighted to see the last unit, DC4, has been let and we are looking forward to handing over this sustainable facility to AMG Logistics at the end of the summer.”

 

Hörmann equips Panattoni shed at Borehamwood

Posted on by David Priestman

Panattoni, Europe’s largest developer of logistics property, has completed the second stage of its development at Borehamwood.

Phase 2 of Panattoni Park Borehamwood 159 is 159,000 sq ft, being situated inside the M25 and just 2 miles from the nearest junction.  Borehamwood 159 is also located outside the low emission zone and the London Lorry Control Scheme.

Rated BREEAM ‘Very Good’, the built-to-suit logistics space features 15m clear internal height compared to the typical 10m internal height allocation in London and 43 HGV parking spaces. Hörmann UK supplied full loading bays with safety and operational equipment including dock buffers, dock lights and traffic lights, plus sectional level access doors and fire exit doorsets.

The installation consists of a total of 20 loading bays and six level access bays, with the loading bays comprising Hörmann SPU F42 sectional doors with HTL-2 dock levellers, featuring a one metre telescopic lip which provides an optimal range loading platform. This enables precise bridging for a variety of vehicle types and, says Hörmann, a guarantee of fast, efficient, and most importantly safe loading and unloading.

Eighteen ‘single bay’ and 2 DSS-G ‘double/euro bay’ dock shelters have been installed to provide protection from the elements for both operatives and goods, helping to reduce heat loss during loading and unloading operations.

Other elements of the Hörmann UK loading system include reinforced Dock Bumpers, which are constructed from recycled tyre rubber with 15mm-thick steel faceplates. The buffers are designed to minimise any potential damage to the bay in the event of a vehicle making direct contact with the building. Traffic lights and dock lights complete the loading bays offering the highest standards in safety and operational efficiency during the docking and loading processes.

With the Panattoni site achieving an impressive EPC A rating, each loading and level access bay has been fitted with a robust Hörmann sectional door featuring double glazed vision panels, providing excellent thermal insulation with an impressive overall U-value of between 1.1 and 1.3 Wm2.K.  Stucco textured profiles deliver a durable and resilient finish to withstand the external elements, while rubber draught seals to the edges of the leveller’s help support the minimisation of heat loss during loading and unloading operations.

The provision of 11 STU steel fire exit doorsets, installed through the warehouse and offices, completes an impressive range of products supplied by Hörmann UK, all chosen for their quality construction and the impressive service offered by the company.

 

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