Panattoni Europe, the logistics real estate developer and investor, cut the first sod for a new logistics facility in the port of Düsseldorf, with an area of 33,000 sqm. Panattoni and the project partners AEW Europe, BLG LOGISTICS, their customer Daimler, RheinCargo, the city of Düsseldorf and the Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, the owner of the property, met yesterday (29th September 2015) for a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction work. The logistics centre, designed specifically to fulfil the requirements of automobile parts and industrial logistics, will be built on a site with a total area of 117,000 sqm.
The first construction section, consisting of a new logistics facility with three halls and 32,000 sqm of usable floor space, will be erected on a ground area of about 71,000 sqm . In addition, a further 1,000 sqm will be used for offices, social and technical spaces. This section is scheduled for completion in early 2016. In total, 60,000 sqm of logistics space will be created in two construction phases. Andreas Wellbrock, member of the Board of Management of BLG LOGISTICS GROUP AG & Co. KG explains, "The building and the area around it are exactly what we expect of a modern logistics facility. Moreover, with the good trimodal connection of this location, it also fulfils our requirements regarding infrastructure. For us, this project is a new, further milestone in the excellent co-operation with our customer." In this new logistics centre, BLG will carry out logistics operations mainly for the nearby Daimler plant in Düsseldorf. Martin Kelterer, site manager of Düsseldorf Daimler AG, commends the very reliable and long-term co-operation with BLG. "We are looking forward to intensifying this co-operation in the Düsseldorf location for the benefit of the industry".
Besides its size and the 5,000 sqm of outdoor space, further important features of the logistics facility are that it allows handling and dispatching of long trucks as well as lateral loading and unloading under overhanging roofs. Furthermore, the facility has organisational and technical security measures such as a central reporting office with a double barrier system and guidance of the vehicle to the appropriate gate, perimeter fencing, video surveillance of the building and the site, and an access control system for all doors and gates. "Our plans included the highest security standards as well as the optimal conditions for effective logistics management. Now, we are relying on equally smooth progress of the construction work," explains Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner of Panattoni Europe, on the occasion of the ground-breaking. His project partner, Stephan Bönning, Head of Germany and Central Europe AEW Europe, adds, "This investment leaves no questions unanswered. With BLG as a long-term tenant in a location which offers ideal conditions for logistics, nothing stands in the way of the positive development of this facility."
The city of Düsseldorf emphasises the combination of developer, tenant and customer. "This is an exemplary settlement project. The new logistics centre used by the automobile industry will create and safeguard jobs in the three-digit range for this region," says Monika Lehmhaus, city councillor and chairwoman of the committee for economic affairs, tourism and municipal property of the city of Düsseldorf. Rainer Pennekamp, chairman of Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG, which as the owner of the site leased the property on a ground lease basis, explains, "This site was no longer needed for operation, but very attractive and close to the power station. We gave intensive consideration to the question of who we wanted to give it to. The new logistics centre will be an important signal for the industrial location and port of Düsseldorf." More movement and more cargo are the topics in this location, as is also emphasised by Rainer Schäfer, CEO of RheinCargo. "Automobile parts and industrial logistics incorporate just about all the value-added steps in a logistics chain. With its integration in the port of Düsseldorf, the new facility creates a win-win situation - for the new tenant as well as for the Düsseldorfer Container-Hafen GmbH and the surrounding logistics services providers."
About AEW Europe/LOGISTIS
AEW Europe is part of the global real estate group AEW. The AEW Group is one of the largest real estate asset management companies worldwide and is responsible for 40 billion euros of assets under management in Europe, the USA and Asia (30th September 2014). The company employs a team of about 500 staff worldwide. The company's main offices are in Boston, London, Paris and Singapore and it has 10 more branches in nine other countries. AEW Europe currently has 9 offices in Europe with more than 270 employees working on different Core, Value-Add and Opportunity funds and managing real estate assets of more than 18.2 billion euros (30 thSeptember 2014). Formed in 1999, LOGISTIS is a European Core Logistics Fund with a long-term investment strategy. It is one of the largest logistics platforms in Europe. For its institutional investors, LOGISTIS manages 70 logistics properties throughout Europe with a total usable space of more than 1.8 million square metres.
About BLG LOGISTICS
BLG LOGISTICS GROUP AG & Co. KG provides 16,000 jobs worldwide in 100 locations. With its three operating divisions for automobile, contract and container logistics the group generated a sales revenue of 883 million euros in 2014 and reported pre-tax earnings of 30.1 million euros. In the field of automobile and container logistics, BLG is the market leader in Europe, with 7.4 million vehicles, respectively 14.8 million standard containers (TEU). The company is also one of the leading logistics service providers in Germany for contract logistics.
