Warehousing Archives

New Cross-dock Facility for Conforama Poland

Posted on 8 February, 20237 August, 2025 by David Priestman

A French home furnishings retailer is benefitting from a new facility for its cross-dock consolidation of supplies from Eastern Europe, operated by long-term logistics distribution partner GEODIS.

Conforama has partnered with GEODIS for both consolidation and distribution services to optimize and organize the delivery of its products manufactured and assembled at twenty sites in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, before being distributed to its 167 retail outlets throughout France.

Operations that for Conforama have been carried out for the past eight years at the Wroclaw site have been transferred to a new location in Pietrzykowice in the southwestern region of Lower Silesia. The new 51,000 square meters (sqm) facility answers all Conforama’s needs. It also offers a possibility to extend the space by a further 17,000 sqm.

The site offers many advantages for Conforama, especially direct access to road networks for delivery to stores in France, and a modern construction with benefits in terms of energy savings and safe working conditions. Operationally, the facility has a greater storage capacity, more loading/unloading ramps and docks and the flexibility to better manage seasonal peaks in demand.

The Supply Chain Director of Conforama, François-Xavier Forestier is pleased with the move, “We are confident that the cross-docking operation in Poland will efficiently process products from multiple suppliers, consolidating them into loads for our individual outlets. The advantages of effective inventory management through GEODIS’ IT capabilities will also be beneficial to us.”

Cross-dock advantages

“We would like to thank our client Conforama for the trust he has placed in us, which has resulted in the signing of a new long-term contract,” says Olivier Royer GEODIS Road Transport CEO. “The implementation of this solution for Conforama has been possible thanks to the collaboration between the developer MountPark and GEODIS teams at Pietrzykowice whose work is proving once again our commitment and capacity to deliver the most appropriate solution in order to help our customers to grow their activities.”

GEODIS is a leading global logistics provider acknowledged for its expertise across all aspects of the supply chain. As a growth partner to its clients, GEODIS specializes in five lines of business: Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport. With a global network spanning nearly 170 countries and more than 44,000 employees, GEODIS is ranked no. 7 in its sector across the world. In 2021, GEODIS generated €10.9 billion in revenue.

Serbia DCs Surge due to Proximity to EU

Posted on 1 February, 202329 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Serbia’s emergence as a manufacturing base with a skilled cost-effective labour force in close proximity to neighbouring EU markets, is driving a surge in DC leasings and built-to-suit developments across CTP’s four industrial and logistics parks in the country.

Petar Kolognat, Head of Business Development at CTP Serbia, said: “The growing outsourcing of Germany’s industrial supply chain to CEE markets, combined with the nearshoring trend, where companies are opting to build resilience into their global supply chains by locating manufacturing closer to their main markets, is generating strong demand for industrial and logistics space along the axis of CTP’s core markets from the Czech Republic to Romania, but it is also resulting in upward pressure on wages and other costs. Serbia’s position outside the European Union means it is highly competitive on labour costs, with a skilled workforce strategically located next to neighbouring EU markets. International companies are increasingly taking note of these advantages, encouraged by supportive government policies. We are seeing a growing number choosing to locate in Serbia and in CTParks, which offer the most modern and sustainable production and logistics facilities and broadest network available in this market.”

Significant CTP Serbia Leasings in 2022

In the fourth quarter of 2022, German multinational and engineering company Bosch took delivery of a 20,000 sqm built-to-suit facility in CTPark Belgrade West to produce motors for electronic window lifters and Milšped, the leading 3PL group, leased 16,000 sqm at the same location. CTP also handed over a 26,500 sqm BTS building to Japanese electromotors giant Nidec at CTPark Novi Sad in Serbia’s second largest city. Total developments of 60,000 sqm are due to be fulfilled for Nidec and its sister company Nidec-Elesys at CTPark Novi Sad.

At CTPark Kragujevac in central Serbia, Chinese automotive supplier YanFeng has signed a leasing agreement for a third production unit of 30,000 sqm, where construction started in December 2022. Meanwhile in CTPark Belgrade North, around 25,000 sqm of the planned total development of 100,000 sqm at the park was completed last year and Slovenian 3PL InterEuropa, the leading supplier of complete logistics services in Serbia and south eastern Europe, took a lease on 14,400 sqm of space. The facility will be used as a regional distribution centre for EU markets by Gorenje – Hisense, a manufacturer of household appliances.

CTP is also progressing with the development of CTPark Belgrade City, located in the largest municipality in the capital, less then 5 km to the city centre and only 5 km from Belgrade Airport. The location is ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises in the FMCG, Pharmaceutical, E-commerce and last-mile logistics sectors owing to its inner-city location, along with excellent connections to the highway and surrounding urban traffic arteries. The first phase of the programme will be completed by the end of this year, with units starting from 2,500 sqm including showroom, office, and warehouse space.

Marko Ivovic, Plant Manager at NIDEC, said: “It was a pleasure to journey, together with CTP, from zero to almost 27,000 square metres in the construction of the first Nidec factory in Serbia. We have managed to build a strong partnership between these two companies, milestone after successful milestone, finishing the first phase of our investment on time, and staying in constant communication with our partners from CTP. Very soon, the time for a further expansion of Nidec Electric Motor Serbia will come and I look forward to cooperating with the local team of CTP again.”

CTP is Continental Europe’s largest listed owner, developer and manager of logistics and industrial real estate by GLA, owning over 9.9 million sqm of space across 10 countries. CTP certifies all new buildings to BREEAM Very good or better and earned a ‘Low-Risk’ ESG rating by Sustainalytics, underlining its commitment to being a sustainable business.

Growth Goals for stow

Posted on 7 December, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

stow Robotics has impressive growth plans. Founded in 2021 and focused on the development, production and sales of automated and robotic warehouse solutions.

stow is a global market leader in industrial storage solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, stow employs nearly 2,000 people across Europe and the United States. The group has a pan-European production footprint with 10 production facilities and a global commercial network. stow estimates to reach the €1 billion turnover mark in 2022 and plans further growth over the coming years, in which stow Robotics plays a central role.

The first automated warehouse projects were completed in 2019 with the installation of the stow Atlas® 2D shuttles for deep lane pallet storage and retrieval. After completing several projects in our domestic market Belgium, business quickly spread towards the rest of the world with big projects in the UK, US and Australia. Since 2021, all existing automated solutions for pallets & totes and all related services & teams have been regrouped under stow Robotics.

Strategic co-operations and acquisitions

stow Robotics not only grows from within, but establishes this growth through valuable and strategic acquisitions.

After first creating the stow Atlas® 2D shuttle for pallets completely in-house, it was time to expand the product portfolio for bins as well. Through a first acquisition, stow Robotics added the stow e.scala® bin shuttle system to its product range. More recently, stow Robotics also announced the acquisition of a majority stake in iFollow, a collaborative AMR company founded in 2017. The market-leading fleet of AMRs and software are suited for a large range of use-cases, such as collaborative picking and in-and-outbound transport. The company had already deployed its technology in a wide variety of applications across different industries, in line with the full range of markets that stow serves. With these acquisitions, stow Robotics can now offer pallet and bin shuttles as well as AMRs for a fully automated warehouse solution.

Dark warehouse capability

With these co-operations, stow Robotics now has all necessary know-how and expertise grouped in order to further develop & implement solutions for the warehouse of the future – a fully automated dark warehouse. With the iFollow AMR, stow Atlas® 2D pallet shuttle and stow e.scala® bin shuttle, stow Robotics offers the complete chain of in-and-outbound, storage and collaborative picking for all types of warehouses including 3PL, e-commerce and cold stores.

New automation campus

Clearly, the evolution in warehouse automation is highly dynamic and the time-to-market of new concepts is essential. This is why, in October 2022, stow Robotics announced its relocation plans. The entire business unit will move from the west of Belgium to a more strategic location centralised between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. The new campus provides enough space to build a large technology and experience centre for European customers, has excellent visibility, and really is a unique opportunity for the further expansion of the robotics activities.

Other than relocating, the entire organization has to adapt to this growth structurally. stow Robotics invests heavily in hiring new sales teams, project managers, and a highly-skilled R&D department with automation at its core.

Rollers for Energy Efficiency

Posted on 1 December, 202225 July, 2025 by David Priestman

A warehouse optimised for maximum efficiency isn’t always optimised for minimal energy use, but a veteran rollers manufacturer has a solution.

Founded in 1946 as a specialist maker of motors for fans and washing machines, Itoh Denki became a pioneer in the industry when its founder invented the Motorised Drive Roller (MDR). By putting the motor and gearbox inside the body of the roller, the company was launched into the intralogistics industry. US Post chose to adopt this new roller technology, and then Itoh Denki’s future as a major player was sealed when it introduced brushless 24V technology to conveyor systems. This meant considerably higher safety levels, as the rollers neither snarled body parts nor did they impart potentially life-threatening electric shocks to unwary operatives – unlike the brutal 400V AC motor-driven rollers they replaced.

“The rollers have just enough torque that, if you want, you can stop one roller with your hand,” says Tatsuya Akashi, president of Itoh Denki’s European operations. “But its biggest advantage is that you can make each one-metre-long conveyor independent. In the past, an entire 200m conveyor would be powered to move just one small part, which was a waste of energy. Now we can move only the section of the conveyor which the part is on, saving up to 60% in electric energy.”

Describing MDR deployment as “new technology”, Mr Akashi says half of the existing conveyors in the world are old technology. “Right now, they are being replaced, so our growth potential is huge.” Ecommerce is the sector most suited to benefit, as ambitious short lead times can only be met thanks to the widespread use of MDRs in large DCs.

Wider rollers

But whilst the majority of sales are to businesses handling small parts (up to 50kg) in plastic totes or carton boxes, Itoh Denki also produces a roller with a wider diameter, making it attractive to the automotive sector as it can convey parts weighing up to 500kg as well as pallets weighing up to a tonne.

Mr Akashi believes the company’s claimed 60% energy saving is the highest in the sector, fuelling its growth. “Only in Europe, we were slightly behind our largest competitor in market share,” he says. “In the past five years, we’re doing four times more sales than before, so I think we are now in equal number one position.”

Offering modules featuring 90° right-angle transfer and free angle diverters, Itoh Denki evangelises a diverter-centric approach to sorting. “I have nothing against the crossbelt sorter,” says Mr Akashi, “but we’re talking about a new way of sorting. Today, there are still a lot of old theory believers from the crossbelt era who are stuck to just one way of layout thinking, which can be extremely costly. Take ASRS technology. You replace pickers walking and climbing stairs with a stacker crane weighing sometimes a few tonnes. It can run several hundred metres and acceleration is extremely fast, but the energy used just to take one box or one pallet from the end of the warehouse is very high. I would say that, if you do a circle and use our technology to have a conveyor with lifter storage, you don’t need to run such a big train. So if everybody thinks about energy, we can change. We can think from scratch and make something much more fitting to the need.

Micro Fulfilment

“We don’t just sell the MDR, but have a mindset of helping customers understand and adopt more efficient solutions to improve logistic processes and energy consumption. While the market adapts globally, it can sometimes be hard for well implanted companies that have inventory and engineers experienced on one technology, to adopt a new model.” With the trend moving towards smaller and more local micro fulfilment centres, Itoh Denki seems well-placed to capitalise of the growth of facilities where smaller, more nimble material handling is required.

St. Modwen Logistics’ £18.1m investment supports regeneration

Posted on 20 June, 2022 by David Priestman

St. Modwen Logistics, a leading logistics developer and manager, has delivered on Basingstoke (Hampshire, UK) and Deane Borough Council’s aspiration for the regeneration of Viables Business Park, Basingstoke, with an £18.1m investment which saw the property company build 190,000 sq.ft of manufacturing space for LevertonHELM – a joint venture between Leverton Lithium and HELM AG. Leverton Lithium was founded in Basingstoke over 45 years ago, and as LevertonHELM it will occupy the whole of St. Modwen Park Basingstoke, comprising three warehouses and two retail pods, which will be used as staff refectories.

St. Modwen Park Basingstoke provides LevertonHELM with the modern and larger space needed to scale up its production and manufacturing of battery grade Lithium chemicals in Europe. It will also provide additional capacity for the growing needs of its global customers, allowing for an expansion of 20kMT (kilo metric tons) of high-quality lithium chemicals.

The deal demonstrates St. Modwen Logistics’ commitment to ensuring businesses have the space they need to grow and prosper in their local area, bringing much-needed investment and jobs. LevertonHELM’s new buildings come with a range of sustainability features as standard including an EPC A rating, rainwater harvesting, EV charging points and PV solar panels.

Polly Troughton, Managing Director at St. Modwen Logistics, said: “At St. Modwen Logistics we are committed to providing our customers with the space and support they need to succeed. Working closely with the local authority, we are proud to be investing in the redevelopment of the site, which supports LevertonHELM’s continued growth and expansion, helping create local jobs and generating economic growth in and around Basingstoke.”

David Hicks, CEO of Leverton Lithium, said: “The lithium industry is developing rapidly and we are delighted to be joined by HELM AG as our company continues to grow. This manufacturing space will help us respond to market demand and support our operations as we provide large-scale manufacturing of battery grade chemicals.”

Acting Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Councillor Simon Bound, said: “I am delighted that Leverton Lithium and HELM AG have demonstrated their confidence in the borough with this significant investment worth tens of millions of pounds. As well as creating and protecting many high-tech skilled jobs, it is great to support a company that is focused on reducing the world’s use of carbon and helping to lead the way to a more sustainable future – something that we are committed to achieving locally.”

“Basingstoke is a great place to invest, and we are delighted that we have been able to work with St. Modwen Logistics to create new high quality employment space in this strategic location which will be vital for the borough’s economic recovery.” Andrew Newman, joint letting agent for Hollis Hockley, said: “It’s great that we have been able to work with St. Modwen Logistics, LevertonHELM and the council to secure such a fantastic result. LevertonHELM has secured a prime campus on which to manufacture lithium and the redevelopment will not only generate revenue, but also bring more jobs directly and indirectly to the Borough.”

St. Modwen Logistics’ £18.1m investment supports regeneration

Posted on 20 June, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Century Logistics acquired by Metro Supply Chain

Posted on 7 March, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Metro Supply Chain Holdings (UK) Limited, a division of Canadian-based Metro Supply Chain, has acquired Century Logistics, a long-standing third-party logistics provider based in Suffolk, UK.

“We welcome Century Logistics to the Metro Supply Chain team. Century’s wide capabilities and customer-focused culture complement Metro Supply Chain’s strengths as a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world’s fastest-growing and most reputable brands,” explains Martin Graham, Group President of Metro Supply Chain. “This acquisition deepens our operations in the UK and Europe and broadens our service offerings for UK-based customers looking to expand into the United States or Canada.”

For decades, Century Logistics has been integral to helping local and multinational consumer packaged goods brands scale through warehousing, co-packing, ecommerce fulfilment, product repairs and product returns. Managing seven distribution sites, Century Logistics is strategically located along the A14 corridor between the bustling Golden Triangle and the port of Felixstowe, the UK’s biggest and busiest container port.

“Since opening our first commercial warehouse in 1998, Century Logistics’ driving focus has been to invest where our customers need us most, which, in recent years, has meant supporting their significant ecommerce growth,” says Stephen Basey-Fisher (pictured), founder and chairman of Century Logistics. “We’re thrilled to join Metro Supply Chain and be able to offer customers here and abroad a true end-to-end, harmonized experience that will delight their consumers wherever and whenever they shop.”

Metro Supply Chain has been operating in the UK since 2016 when it acquired Evolution Time Critical, a premium provider of 24-hour emergency logistics for companies around the world, with offices in Derby, UK, the United States, Portugal, Germany and China. In 2021, the company expanded operations to include five facilities in Wales dedicated to defence sector logistics. With the acquisition of Century Logistics, Metro Supply Chain manages more than 12 million square feet in over 80 distribution centres across North America and Europe.

“Century Logistics founders Stephen and Ann Basey-Fisher have built an impressive customer-focused operation and we are excited to welcome the full Century team to Metro Supply Chain,” says Chiko Nanji, founder and CEO of Metro Supply Chain. “We look forward to providing greater synergies and opportunities for our UK-based customers who are looking to grow their operations in new geographies and capabilities.”

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