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Tag: warehouse

Dynamic Warehousing with New Pallet Truck

Posted on by David Priestman

Yale Lift Truck Technologies has added an order picker pallet truck to its line-up of flexible warehouse equipment. The new solution, which previewed at LogiMAT 2024, is designed to help dynamic warehouse and intralogistics operations optimise order picking efficiency, while helping to reduce costs for applications which also need to load and unload lorries.

“Warehouses are having to find ways to pick more orders, more efficiently, not least because the retail and eCommerce industries continue to boom,” says Monica Radavelli, Product Manager for Yale Lift Truck Technologies. “Rethinking equipment fleets, and how they are used, presents a great opportunity for intralogistics operations to meet picking deadlines while navigating mounting costs.”

“The new Yale order picket pallet truck is a multi-purpose solution that gives businesses more flexibility.  It can reduce the number of trucks needed in a warehouse, and helps speed up certain operations,” Monica continues.

The Yale MO20-30X series trucks, which lift from two to three tonnes, provide many of the typical functions of a traditional Yale low level order picker but with added agility to load and unload lorries. This is thanks to smart design which puts operators in a different position and includes improved ground clearance, allowing the truck to work on ramps.

New Pallet Picker allows for dynamic warehousing

With this new Yale solution, orders can be picked and then driven directly onto a lorry. As loads do not need transferring between trucks, this saves time, and can help reduce the number of trucks needed in a mixed operation, helping control costs. Different fork lengths and heights, alongside various driving modes further support flexibility.

To empower operators to work efficiently, the design of the new order picker pallet truck also focuses on ergonomics. The operator can enjoy a comfortable position on a large platform which is positioned to give an optimum view of the warehouse environment during every journey. Adjustable scooter control allows operators to easily adjust the height to their preference, and the tiller head design offers ease of operation.

“We know that to meet the requirements of different intralogistics environments, it is essential that the new order picker pallet truck offers a wide range of options,” explains Monica. “For example, it can be specified with the Yale Smart Lift™ feature. This enables the operator to lift loads and start transporting the pallet before it is at full lift. Newer operators often find this a really helpful addition that supports productivity.”

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Innovations Offering Explosion Protection

Planning Granted for Extension to Major ‘Golden Triangle’ Logistics Park

Posted on by Will Priestman

Prologis UK, a leading owner, investor and developer of logistics property, is bringing to market an additional 159,000 sq. ft. of space to the logistics ‘Golden Triangle’ through an expansion of Prologis Park Coventry. Planning consent has been granted to deliver either a single unit or two-unit scheme on the site, depending on customer demand.

Located five minutes from M6 J3 and within 15 miles of five different motorways, Prologis Park Coventry is a highly sought-after location for businesses within the automotive and wider logistics sector. The scheme provides a unique opportunity for prospective customers to take full advantage of Prologis UK’s build-to-suit offering and secure prime logistics space in one of the UK’s most desirable locations.

Planning Success

This latest investment follows a string of other recent planning successes for the business, including at Prologis Parks Luton, Hemel Hempstead and Croydon. Once complete, the scheme at Prologis Park Coventry will bring the total value of assets under Prologis management in the Midlands to over £3 billion and the business’ Warwickshire footprint to over 3.4 million sq. ft., spread across its holdings at Prologis Park Ryton and Prologis Park Coventry.

Maria Bailey, Head of Planning at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, added: “It is our foremost priority to support activity which will directly provide a net benefit to our region. The granting of this planning application means that there are more chances than ever for the local community to pursue roles within a stable and progressive industry. Supporting the growth of businesses, and attracting more commercial activity to the area, will secure the delivery of a valuable employment site and bring inward investment and jobs to the borough.”

Success at Prologis Park

Planned with employee wellbeing in mind, the scheme is located opposite Coventry Country Park with connecting access routes for employees and the community. Another key feature of Prologis UK’s PARKlife offering, landscaped communal areas have been drawn up in the planning designs.

With the opportunity to be neighbours with major companies such as IFCO, Halfords, DHL, Parcel Force and Co-Op, the unit will be delivered to Prologis UK’s high sustainability standards, targeting an EPC A and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, as well as being net zero carbon in construction.

Caroline Musker, Head of Planning at Prologis UK, said: “This multi-million-pound expansion of Prologis Park Coventry will help to activate growth of local businesses and generate further inward financial opportunities. We pride ourselves in our expertise in providing agile spaces that deliver scalable groundbreaking solutions. Delivering flexibility through our two permissions at this scale means we can be adaptable to the market and the requirements of prospective tenants.”

Busineses at Prologis Park Coventry are supported by a highly skilled labour pool and potential talent base that is ideally suited to the logistics and distribution operations, across a wide range of sectors.

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Operationally Carbon Neutral Warehouse

Fashion Brand Improves Fulfilment Productivity

Posted on by Will Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, announced that U.K.-based fashion retailer LOVALL, formerly known as Love Leggings, is using Descartes’ ecommerce warehouse management system (WMS) to improve productivity by automating fulfilment and optimizing the use of existing warehouse space to hold three times as much inventory. The solution has enabled LOVALL to meet rising ecommerce order volumes without needing to hire additional resources, even during peak periods like this past November when order volumes increased by 28% compared to the same time the previous year. 

“Our business has scaled from an Amazon marketplace that used manual- and paper-based systems to pick and pack orders weekly to a growing online fashion brand that fulfils orders daily with almost 100% accuracy using the Descartes solution,” said Chris Brian, Co-Founder of LOVALL. “Descartes has a strong track record of success in our industry with other high growth fashion brands. Its ecommerce WMS gives us a reliable and trusted technology foundation that can easily keep pace with our expanding business.”

Descartes Warehouse

Part of Descartes’ ecommerce solution suite, Descartes’ ecommerce WMS helps direct-to-consumer brands and ecommerce retailers drive significant efficiencies across order fulfilment processes to provide a remarkable customer experience. The solution helps ensure retailers can ship on time, ship the right items, not oversell existing inventory, and have transparency into warehouse operations. Order information is automatically available to be executed via mobile-driven, multi-order pick-and-pack strategies and then fed into Descartes and third-party parcel shipment systems. The solution integrates with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify Plus, Brightpearl by Sage, NetSuite, Linnworks, Loop Returns and others, to accelerate implementation and time to value.

“We’re pleased that our ecommerce WMS is playing an important role in LOVALL’s growth and success,” said Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions for Ecommerce at Descartes. “The ecommerce market is fast-paced and demanding, and our warehouse and shipping solutions are designed to help companies at all stages of growth drive efficiencies and cost-savings in their fulfilment operations, easily flex to support peak and off-peak order volumes and achieve overall higher standards of customer service.”

Learn more about how LOVALL has scaled its fulfilment operations using Descartes’ ecommerce WMS in this Descartes Customer Success Story.

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WMS Partners with Supply Chain Advisor

Biggest Mass Timber Logistics Centre

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Global fashion company Bestseller and architecture studio Henning Larsen have unveiled the concept design for a new ground-breaking logistics centre to be built in the Netherlands. The centre will be the biggest of its kind in Europe made with mass timber, and the companies aim for the building to reach ambitious standards for design and sustainability.

Located in Lelystad, 60 km east of Amsterdam, the 155,000 m2 logistics centre will be built over the coming years. Logistics Centre West (LCW) as the building is known, is being built by the fashion company BESTSELLER, and it was designed by the architecture firm Henning Larsen. When completed in 2026, it is expected to be the largest logistics centre built using mass timber in Europe.

“We are happy to be able to unveil the design of our new logistics centre, for which we have very big ambitions. Not only because it strengthens our opportunities for future growth, but also because it was designed to excel in sustainable construction through, not least, the choice of mass timber in the construction. We wanted the building to demonstrate our desire for aesthetic design, and we are very proud of what we have succeeded in jointly with Henning Larsen,” said Allan Kyhe Kjærgaard, Logistics Director at BESTSELLER.

In addition to the striking mass timber construction, the building will also be equipped with 23,000 square meters of solar panels.

Aesthetics and excellence

An important part of the design process was creating a workplace that is both visually appealing and healthy for the almost 600 colleagues who are expected to be work at the centre. The team from Henning Larsen has, among other things, prioritised daylight and green areas as well as harmonising indoor and outdoor elements to promote employee well-being.

“The design of Logistics Centre West represents a fundamental change to the way we imagine how a logistics centre should look. It’s a result of a united client and consultancy team committed to creating a design that is visually stunning, carbon efficient and has a positive biodiverse impact,” says Eva Ravnborg, Country Market Director, Partner, Henning Larsen.

Promoting biodiversity

More than half of the total site is dedicated to its landscape. The majority of the area will thus be dedicated to wetlands and forest to protect biodiversity and help absorb CO2.

In order to preserve and protect the area’s animal and plant life, the construction will be surrounded by a constructed wetland, which will contribute to promoting microhabitats for native species. The centre will also have an optimised rainwater system that, among other things, protects against flooding and recycles rainwater from the roof.

“We are very aware that constructing new buildings affects the environment, the climate and the local community. Therefore, a very thorough process has taken place before we can now present the plans for our new logistics centre. There have been many ambitions which had to be united in one building, but we believe that we have succeeded – not least thanks to a good and close collaboration with Henning Larsen. We look forward to putting the logistics centre into use in 2026, says Allan Kyhe Kjærgaard.

 

Prologis adds 700,000 sq.ft. UK Warehousing

Posted on by David Priestman

Prologis UK, owner and developer of logistics property, has completed a £240m portfolio of development across London and the Midlands, bringing 627,724 sq. ft. of prime new UK warehousing space to the market across three strategically located sites, with a further 62,537 sq. ft. comprehensively refurbished in Birmingham’s strongest market.

The construction projects at Prologis Park Midpoint and Prologis Park Bromford Gate, both located in Birmingham, and at Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands in Weybridge exemplify the business’ continued commitment to providing market-leading logistics property.

The new 163,754 sq. ft. unit, DC6 at Prologis Park Midpoint, has brought the total floor space of one of the UK’s most successful logistics parks to over 1.6 million sq. ft. and is located within the logistics “Golden Triangle” in the Midlands. Net zero carbon in construction, and with a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating and EPC A+, the new unit is located just eight miles from central Birmingham and has access to 11 motorway junctions within five miles, making it perfectly situated to support growing supply chain needs.

Similarly, the recently refurbished unit DC1 (62,537 sq. ft.) at Prologis Park Bromford Gate is situated just over three miles from Birmingham City Centre and as one of Birmingham’s most prominent and recognisable parks is easily accessible from the M6 from both junctions 5 and 6. The unit’s comprehensive refurbishment included enhancing the employee amenity and shower facilities, installing LED lighting throughout and providing EV charging provision to achieve an EPC A rating.

Turning attention to the London market, there has been an increased focus on the need for more high-density urban hubs to provide greater last-mile capabilities. In response to the growing needs of the industry, Prologis UK has broken ground on two key development areas within Greater London.

Strategically positioned to ensure access to the major consumer markets within West and Central London as well as the Thames Valley, two new units have reached completion at Prologis Park West London.

With a combined footprint of 339,569 sq. ft., units DC5 (195,720 sq. ft.) and DC6 (143,849 sq. ft.) stand as testament to Prologis UK’s commitment to setting standards in the industry. Beyond net zero in construction and EPC ‘A’-rated, both units also boast solar photovoltaics (PV) and will serve to help alleviate the increased need for high-density urban hubs that can provide greater last-mile capabilities. Both DC5 and DC6 are available immediately on flexible short term leases, a unique proposition in a competitive market.

Likewise, Prologis Park Brooklands DC1, achieved – BREEAM ‘Excellent ‘and EPC A+, is situated in a proven last-mile delivery location, serving Central and South London, with easy access to the M25, M3 and A3. The new 124,401 sq. ft. logistics facility draws upon a large and skilled labour pool from Weybridge and surrounding areas. Both Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands are designed and built to meet the demands of high-performance operations.

Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “Our investment into such an extensive development programme goes to show the lengths to which we are prepared to go to service the market, and our customers. After listening to the market, we’re excited to be completing our new units that push the boundaries of what is achievable in the industrial and logistics sector. Having led the charge for sustainable and innovation in logistics property developments, we’re proud to continue our legacy of providing spaces that truly add value to our customers and communities.”

IFOY Test Report: NIMMSTA Light Tag

Posted on by Keith McKinley

As we enter the week when the IFOY Awards are handed out in Dortmund (on Thursday June 22nd), we continue our look at all of the 2023 finalists and share the verdict from the IFOY test conducted during the evaluation by an expert jury in March. Our next entry is the Light Tag pick-by-light solution from NIMMSTA GmbH.

The NIMMSTA Light Tags represent a completely new approach to a pick-by-light solution that achieves up to 80% more efficiency without integration effort and in combination with the NIMMSTA Industrial Smart Watch.

IFOY category: Special of the Year

IFOY Test Report

NIMMSTA had set up a shelf at its booth where visitors to IFOY TEST DAYS could try their hand as a picker. So what could be more natural than putting on one of the company’s hand straps and getting started? The task for visitors was to pick five products. Without assistance from NIMMSTA’s system, it took the tester 112 seconds. But it can be even better. With support from the Light Tags, the time could be reduced to 74 seconds.

The approach to the solution is completely new, because the “Light Tags” contain only battery-powered LEDs (battery life: three to five years) that light up in different colours and patterns. All the logic is in the NIMMSTA wearable, which personnel wear directly on their bodies. This combination makes all intralogistics processes digital and more efficient.

Via Bluetooth, a position is assigned once to each light tag in the NIMMSTA app. The light tag is then attached to the corresponding storage location with an adhesive strip. As soon as the picker is sent to position 1 via the NIMMSTA smart watch and the picker approaches position 1 within a radius of 10m, the smart watch and the light tag light up in the same colour and pattern. Based on the Freehand workflows and the pick-by-light solution with the light tags, the processes run up to 80% more efficiently, because the storage location is additionally immediately visually recognisable for the personnel. In the process, the wearable creates the conditions for up to a 50% percent increase in efficiency and the light tags contribute up to 30%.

Remarkably, no integration effort is required to use the system. Alternative pick-by-light systems are complex and costly to implement, both on the software side and the electronics or wiring at the racks. NIMMSTA’s pick-by-light solution is simple and smart: the intelligence is not in the display system, but in the industrial smart watch, which only addresses the corresponding light tag. With the help of this solution, processes can be transformed into freehand workflows.

IFOY test verdict: The potential for the solution in intralogistics and production is considerable. The provider’s goal is to optimize not just one process step, but the entire value chain. The focus is on creating more efficiency for the user, increasing process quality, and consequently securing the user’s productivity and growth. At the same time, however, the working environment of the personnel in intralogistics and production is to be improved.

IFOY Innovation Check

Market relevance: With increasing turnover figures in the mail order business, the topic of picking efficiency is gaining in importance. With the combination of “Industrial Smart Watch” with scanner as well as the “Light Tags”, NIMMSTA offers a cost-efficient solution to achieve a significantly higher picking speed than with handgun scanners when manually assembling consignments of goods. The market relevance is particularly high for small and medium-sized warehouses (in SMEs) where no investment in automation solutions is planned. However, the solution also scales into large warehouses and can pay for itself within 4 to 8 months.

Customer benefit: In addition to the 50% increase in efficiency already measured in customer applications using the wearable, the light tags are expected to improve search time at the shelf by a further 30% while reducing picking errors. Since the battery-operated light tags are only stuck to the shelf and integrated into the system with a one-time scan, setup is extremely simple and also very cost-effective compared to other solutions.

Novelty / Innovation: The combination of wearable with a pick/put-by-light solution without cabling effort and with very simple installation can be considered as a special novelty, which promises high efficiency increases in manual picking with very low investments and costs at the same time.

Functionality / Type of implementation: In terms of functionality, great importance was attached to simple usability in all relevant processes. Starting with the quick installation by simple sticking and one-time booking in the system, over the stringent user guidance via wearable and display of the next product by the light tags in the colours of the picker up to the replacement of the AAA batteries after the 3 to 5 years’ runtime in the tags for uninterrupted operation. The high battery life is achieved through extremely low-power communication strategies between the light tags and the wearable, and because no data processing takes place in the tags. By concentrating all intelligent functions in the wearable and via its cloud connection, a wide variety of other processes (goods receipt booking, inventory, stock transfer) can be added.

Verdict: The NIMMSTA pick-by-light solution enables a significant increase in efficiency of manual picking and putting processes, innovatively implemented through a technically simple display technology for the shelves in the warehouse that can be easily integrated by sticking and scanning. Due to the high level of user-friendliness, the comprehensive connection to a wide range of warehouse management systems and the very short payback period of usually a few months, the system is considered to have very high market potential.

Market relevance ++
Customer benefit ++
Novelty / Innovation +
Functionality / Type of implementation ++
[KEY: ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available]

Quality Management Important for Warehouse Space

Posted on by Keith McKinley

We all know ISO9001 as a Standard that marks an organisation out as following Quality Management processes, writes Steve Purvis, Managing Director at Bis Henderson Space, but what are the tangible benefits for businesses involved in the warehouse space sector? What does accreditation to ISO9001 mean for businesses providing warehousing and, perhaps, more importantly, what benefits accrue for those seeking available space?

ISO9001, derived and developed from BS5750, is increasingly a requirement and a real differentiator for businesses hoping to supply organisations big and small. Contrary to popular opinion the Standard is anything but a box-ticking exercise, especially in its 2015 reiteration. Indeed, part of its raison d’etre is precisely to prevent Quality Management from degenerating into a narrow administrative task.

The Standard places a process approach to delivering customer satisfaction and driving continuous improvement right at the heart of the organisation. It requires the company to examine, and importantly to keep examining, its whole operation, from Board-level strategies and policies down to the individual processes and procedures that govern or affect the delivery of quality in goods and services. The ‘context of the organisation’ – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, both internally and as they affect external partners and stakeholders – forms the core of the approach, which is developed not prescriptively (those boxes to be ticked!) but by requiring the organisation to ask the right questions and to listen to and act on the answers, for example the feedback from customers and suppliers.

Of course, any reputable company has processes and procedures designed to assure quality performance. How far these are well understood, properly implemented, or developed in the light of changing internal strategies and external requirements can be more problematic. ISO9001:2015 provides a methodology to ensure that quality management is, and remains, fit for purpose, and is ‘owned’ not just by a QM team but by the whole organisation from the top down.

So, why is this important to an organisation, its customers, suppliers and wider stake holders? Our experience at Bis Henderson Space serves as a good example.

Two significant milestones were reached by Bis Henderson Space towards the end of last year. First, we were named as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Services Framework Agreement for Storage, Distribution, Kitting and Associated Services. This opens the way for us to bid on relevant contracts across the whole gamut of national government, local authorities and public sector agencies such as the health service, police, fire, education and including those offered by the devolved administrations.

One of the conditions of CCS recognition is that the company holds, or is at least working towards, accreditation under the ISO9001:2015 Quality Management standard, and we are delighted that this has also been achieved after nine months of hard work internally and with consultants. We believe this is a major step forward for our business, and for our customers and indeed for our suppliers.

What will this mean for Bis Henderson Space? Of course, it improves our ability to bid for and win contracts, especially with large public and private sector entities. Internally, it will drive continuous improvements in our processes and our ability to deliver our output, from major projects to individual pieces of correspondence, ‘right first time’, which will save time, money and stress.

For our customers we will be able to deliver better solutions faster, while giving them the assurance that our performance will be not just maintained but improved over time. For our space suppliers too, this is good news. Although many are themselves ISO9001-accredited, many others are not, but by working with an accredited organisation such as Bis Henderson Space they can gain access to opportunities that might not otherwise be open to them.

Meanwhile we can spread our continuous improvement methodology deep into that supplier base, and perhaps encourage them to go on the ISO9001 journey themselves. Attaining and implementing the Standard does have costs, and involves some hard work, but the process is by no means as onerous as might be thought, and we believe the benefits are considerable.

Meanwhile, Bis Henderson is not standing still – our next target, which we hope will be achieved in the next few months, is accreditation to the increasingly important ISO27001 Standard on cyber-security, while we ultimately aspire to extend ISO9001 accreditation across all the Bis Henderson business units.

Bis Henderson Space has many years’ experience in this market. We can help convert your short-term space requirements from a firefighting emergency to a considered tactical response as part of your wider warehousing/fulfilment strategy.

Second Phase of Derby Development Announced

Posted on by Keith McKinley

St. Modwen Logistics, one of the UK’s leading logistics developers and managers and a Blackstone portfolio company, has invested almost £60m to develop an additional c. 350,000 sq ft of new warehouse space at St. Modwen Park Derby.

Due for completion in 2024, this next phase will see St Modwen Logistics and Winvic Construction Ltd deliver a new 147,000 sq ft warehouse which has already been pre-let. Four additional new buildings totalling c. 200,000 sq ft will also be developed to help meet increased occupier demand for mid-sized industrial and logistics units in the East Midlands.

As part of the first phase of development, to date, St. Modwen Logistics has invested more than £45m in delivering over 300,000 sq ft of sustainable warehousing across four units at St. Modwen Park Derby. Completed in December 2022, it has already attracted two international occupiers, with German heat pump manufacturer Vaillant signing for 131,000 sq ft and Swedish medical technology company Getinge establishing a new Global Centre of Excellence for Chemistry at the scheme alongside its new UK headquarters.

The quintet of new warehouses will be built to St. Modwen Logistics’ ‘Swan Standard’ for sustainable construction, meaning they will be highly energy efficient and come with an EPC A+ rating, thereby helping customers to reduce their operational costs. All five units will benefit from the installation of rooftop solar panels as standard.

Additionally, all five buildings will aim to place in the top 10% of UK new non-domestic buildings for sustainability by targeting an ‘Excellent’ accreditation from BREEAM, the leading real estate sustainability body. In line with the company’s commitment to sustainable development, the Midlands-based company is also strengthening biodiversity at the Park through the creation of a new riverside nature corridor, having already planted 17,000 trees and shrubs as part of the first phase of construction.

Located on Wyvern Way – adjacent to the A52 with direct access to the A38, A50 and nearby M1 motorway, and just 13 miles from East Midlands airport – St. Modwen Park Derby is one of the largest regeneration sites in the region and provides strong transport links and access to one of the highest skilled workforces in the country.

Robert Richardson, Development Director at St. Modwen Logistics, commented: “Our committed investments in St. Modwen Park Derby now exceeds £100m and our decision to embark on the next phase of development, underlines our confidence in Derby as hub for logistics as well as high-skilled tech and manufacturing. We expect a diversity of demand for the new units and a wide variety of employment opportunities to be generated.”

“The first phase of construction on the Park was a huge success and we are looking forward to working with Winvic again to deliver this next phase of development.”

Amanda Solloway, MP for Derby North said: “It has been fascinating to see St. Modwen Park taking shape on what was waste ground next to the Wyvern Centre. Last year, I attended the launch event and saw first-hand the huge benefits that it will bring to Derby in terms of job creation and the provision of high-quality warehouse space and the kind of modern, dedicated office space that the city and the wider Midlands needs if it is to grow and prosper.

“To see a further £59m invested into the park is therefore amazing news and an example of levelling up at its best!”

Paul Simpson, Chief Executive, Derby City Council, said: “This is more great news for the city in what has been a bumper month of major investment announcements, following the decision to make Derby the home of Great British Railways.

“In February we also welcomed two industry leaders, Getinge and Vaillant, to St. Modwen Park. Now we can look forward to seeing more in phase two, which will create more jobs and boost our economy further. It’s clear Derby is seen as a fantastic City in which to invest.

“It was great to be on site to mark this occasion, and I look forward to seeing more investment in Derby and in the next phase of St. Modwen Park.”

Danny Nelson, Winvic’s Head of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, added: “We have built an outstanding relationship with the St Modwen team in delivering the civils and infrastructure package and the four industrial units at Derby – as well assets across other sites – and we’re delighted to have secured the contract for Phase 2. Sustainability is a fundamental part of both Winvic’s and St Modwen’s DNA and our one-team approach ensures we’re able to help occupiers achieve their own sustainability goals. The team is looking forward to progressing the scheme at pace and we are scheduled to complete all five facilities early in 2024.”

CAPTION: (L-R): Rob Richardson, Development Director, St. Modwen Logistics; Ben Shearman, Construction Director, Winvic; Ian Martin, Senior Construction Manager, St. Modwen Logistics; Paul Simpson, Chief Executive, Derby City Council; Ben Silcock, Leasing and Development Manager, St. Modwen Logistics; Adam Broadhurst, Project Manager, Winvic.

 

 

Build-to-suit Warehouse Unit Agreed

Posted on by David Priestman

Prologis, a leading developer of logistics property, has signed an agreement with Hankook Tyre UK Ltd, to provide a new build-to-suit warehouse unit at Prologis Apex Park, in Daventry.

Hankook Tire & Technology is one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers and its UK subsidiary has used the location of Daventry, including Apex Park, as its main distribution hub. The company has agreed terms to take DC9, a brand new, high spec unit comprising 357,221 sq. ft. on a 22-acre site on the park. Construction is scheduled to complete in early 2024.

Since entering the highly competitive UK tyre market in 1993, Hankook has been recognised as an industry leader – in product performance, innovation, productivity and sustainability. This new development forms part of the organisation’s plans to continue to grow its UK business.

Prologis Apex Park is part of a thriving employment area on the northern edge of Daventry in Northamptonshire. The site, which sits within the logistics ‘golden triangle’ at the heart of the UK’s motorway and rail network, has convenient access to the A45, M1 and M45, as well as the rail freight facilities located at nearby Prologis RFI DIRFT. Other Prologis customers at Apex Park include Toolstation, JD Wetherspoon, Hellmann Logistics, Optima Logistics and Cummins.

Construction of DC9 at Apex Park for Hankook is another example of Prologis’ ability to offer customer-centric development – with the unit size and specification tailored to meet Hankook’s requirements from the outset.

James Straw, Associate, Capital Deployment and Leasing at Prologis UK, said: “Hankook has been a customer of ours at Apex Park for a number of years and so it’s fantastic to be able to work with the business to provide a new state of the art logistics facility for their future growth and expansion. At Prologis we have a strong track record of delivering build to suit projects and are constantly looking at ways to improve our buildings. We are delighted to be delivering a building which will meet Hankook’s high expectations both operationally and from a sustainability perspective. Construction will soon be underway and like Hankook, we can’t wait to see DC9 come out of the ground.”

Chang Yool Han, Managing Director of Hankook Tyre UK, said: “Apex Park was the obvious choice for our growth as it meant we were able to provide continuity for our existing staff, and execute our growth in the utmost sustainable and ecofriendly manner plus it serves as an excellent central location for the UK market that we supply. We have been working with our advisors Drake & Partners and Excello Law for a significant period to understand our current and future requirements to grow the business and Prologis have also worked closely with us to accommodate what we need. Moving into DC9 is a significant step on our growth journey and we are looking forward to working with Prologis further”.

DC9 at Prologis Apex Park is due to start imminently, with completion expected in early 2024. Prologis were advised by ILP Partners, Cushman & Wakefield and Colliers. Hankook was advised by Drake & Partners.

Logistics Terminal Opened in Tyrol

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Gebrüder Weiss has opened a logistics terminal in the Kreckelmoos industrial estate in Reutte. The location is specifically designed to meet the requirements of locally-based businesses in Tyrol, Austria. This will make the trips for the collection and delivery of import and export goods shorter and more flexible. They reach Reutte directly, are cross-decked and stored there, and delivered via short routes, including as express shipments.

Customs clearance as well as air and sea freight services complete the on-site portfolio. The logistics company has invested around €8m in the new building, which was completed in less than a year. The location complements the existing Gebrüder Weiss branches in Innsbruck, Wörgl and Hall in Tyrol as well as the Bavarian ones in Memmingen, Waldkraiburg, Passau and Nuremberg.

Günter Schmarl, Branch Manager Tyrol at Gebrüder Weiss, explains what positive effects this has: “We reduce trips over the busy Fernpass road between Tyrol and Bavaria and provide relief for regional traffic because we bundle storage capacities scattered across the district close to the shippers and recipients of goods. Not only is this more efficient for everyone involved, it is also in keeping with the sustainability and climate strategy of the state of Tyrol, which aims to have regional distribution centres for the collection and delivery of goods.”

Thirty employees are to be employed in Reutte in the mid-term, and there are also plans to train apprentices here. The terminal obtains most of its energy requirements from a 600 sq m photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the hall. This system saves eleven tonnes of CO2 per year and generates clean electricity for a heat pump that is used to control the ambient climate of the logistics centre. Gebrüder Weiss aims to operate all of its logistics facilities around the world in a climate-neutral way by 2030, with the company increasingly relying on electricity from renewable sources to this end.

  • Gebrüder Weiss Reutte at a glance

  • Investments: €8 million
  • Total plot area: 11,800 sq m
  • Logistics warehouse: 2,160 sq m
  • Cross-docking area: 400 sq m
  • Picking area: 400 sq m
  • Office building: 600 sq m
  • Number of charging options for e-vans (3.5 tons): 4
  • Heat generation: Heat pump
  • Photovoltaic system – collector surface area: 600 sq m
  • Photovoltaic system – kilowatt hours of electricity per year: 140 kWp
  • Photovoltaic system – CO2 saved per year: 11 tonnes

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