With the new logistics terminal in Giengen an der Brenz, Baden-Württemberg, the international logistics service provider C.E. Noerpel is doubling its logistics space at a strategic hub. For the development of the logistics center, the family-owned company once again relied on the leading project developer for industrial and logistics real estate Panattoni. Following developments in Elsdorf, Odelzhausen, Heidenheim and Singen, this is the fifth joint project. For the first time, the two project partners have developed a concept for sustainable construction that will also set standards for future real estate projects.
While the international economy and politics are confronted with a multitude of crises, logistics is becoming increasingly important. The coronavirus pandemic has already increased the enormous demand for logistics services, and now many companies are seeking to relocate their international goods and supply chains. Such re-shoring or near-shoring strategies are intended to make supply chains more resilient and ensure production security in conflict and crisis situations. In southern Germany in particular, there is a growing need for appropriate buffer warehouses.
High-quality logistics services from a single source
The international logistics service provider C.E. Noerpel, headquartered in Ulm, also felt the surge in demand and decided to build a second logistics terminal in Giengen an der Brenz, Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1881, the family-run company offers a wide range of services in the fields of transportation, contract logistics, packaging and personnel services and has 22 locations in Germany and Switzerland.The service provider already operates a logistics center with a total usable area of 46,000 m2 in the large district town, around 30 kilometers northeast of Ulm.A further terminal should be added before the start of 2023. The strategic hub with direct access to the A7 freeway is of particular importance to C.E. Noerpel, as it is located in the immediate vicinity of its freight forwarding site.
"As a leading logistics service provider, we want to offer our customers and partners fast and flexible support as they grow.With the new logistics center in Giengen, we are making our entire portfolio of high-quality logistics services available to regional customers and partners from a single source due to its proximity to our existing locations.In addition to logistics and transportation services, this also includes personnel services with just a few preliminary processes," says Judith Noerpel-Schneider, Member of the Management Board of C.E. Noerpel GmbH.
Reliable partner needed
The company once again opted for Panattoni, the leading project developer for industrial and logistics properties in Germany and Europe, to realize the new logistics center. C.E. Noerpel and Panattoni have already worked together in the past on the development of four sites in Elsdorf (North Rhine-Westphalia), Odelzhausen (Bavaria), Heidenheim and Singen (both Baden-Württemberg).The project participants gave the go-ahead for the construction project with the symbolic laying of the foundation stone in April 2022.
"As a family business, a good partnership is very important to us. In the case of the project in Giengen, we also had a tight schedule for which we needed an experienced project partner at our side with an existing basis of trust," explains Judith Noerpel-Schneider."We have already worked successfully with Panattoni on a large number of projects in the past and know that a solution has always been found, even in challenging situations."
The project developer built the new logistics center on a plot of approx. 74,100 m2 with a total usable area of around 46,000 m2. Of this, around 39,000 m2 is hall space, around 1,500 m2 is office space and around 5,100 m2 is mezzanine space. The site also has its own parking garage for employees' cars. With a WHG-compliant liner and extinguishing water retention, the property is suitable for the storage of various goods. C.E. Noerpel has allocated some of the new space to existing customers, for example from the consumer goods industry, who will implement further logistics projects with Noerpel.A total of around 80 new jobs are to be created at the site, and the logistics service provider expects to employ up to 125 people in Giengen in the future.
This means that the local community and the regional economy also benefit from the project. Dieter Henle, Lord Mayor of the town of Giengen an der Brenz, explains: "The assumption of logistical functions by specialists makes industrial processes more efficient and offers interesting jobs for trained specialists as well as for unskilled workers. Anyone who is skilled, technically gifted and willing to take responsibility will find exciting tasks in logistics and can make a difference in a variety of ways. At GIP A7, we in Giengen offer the perfect location for small and medium-sized companies as well as logistics specialists - and we greatly appreciate working with reliable partners such as Noerpel and Panattoni!"
Focus on sustainability
One focus of the project realization was the sustainable construction of the space, a central concern of C.E. Noerpel, which is emphatically promoting sustainability both in the services provided and in the site development. It also found the right partner for this in Panattoni. The developer is well on the way to ESG compliance and is aiming for emission-neutral construction of its real estate projects. The project teams from C.E. Noerpel and Panattoni developed a joint concept for sustainable construction, which also defines standards for ecologically and socially sustainable space construction for further projects. The logistics center in Giengen was built in accordance with the DGNB gold standard, and in addition to a green roof, the expansion of sustainable mobility is taken into account with e-charging stations. Both companies also attached great importance to resource-conserving construction methods, a low-emission energy supply and a pleasant atmosphere in the offices and common rooms.
"We are delighted to have successfully implemented our fifth project with C.E. Noerpel. We are very grateful for the trusting cooperation and for the joint focus on implementing sustainability in logistics. Here we can provide effective and holistic support with real estate concepts and solutions and also continue to challenge and develop ourselves in close cooperation," says Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner at Panattoni for Germany and Austria.
Panattoni started construction at the beginning of 2022, with completion in December. C.E. Noerpel was able to move into the property and put it into operation at the turn of 2022/2023.
