Panattoni Europe completed more than 60,000 sqm for Amazon in Okmiany near Bolesławiec

Panattoni Europe, market leader in industrial real estate in Europe, has completed the construction of another facility for Amazon with more than 60,000 sqm of space. The logistics centre in Bolesławiec in Lower Silesia will receive products from sellers and suppliers, and then distribute them to Amazon’s e-commerce centres. The project was built in line with the guidelines for BREEAM certification and is already the seventh joint project between the two companies – in the space of five years the developer has delivered an impressive 745,500 sqm to the world’s largest online store.

Collaboration between Panattoni Europe and Amazon is not slowing down. The developer has delivered an online order fulfilment centre for Amazon in Okmiany near Bolesławiec (Lower Silesia). The 60,000-square-metre facility was built on a site covering nearly 16 hectares. Its parking facilities and service yards will accommodate 458 car parking spaces, 28 bus parking spaces, 127 truck parking spaces and 70 docks. To comply with the requirements of Amazon’s technologies, the facility is 14 metres high. Completion of the investment required 10,400 m3 of concrete, 700,000 kg of steel and 900,000 m of cabling.

“We are increasing our presence in Lower Silesia and creating many additional jobs. Since 2014, we have generated in excess of PLN 1.5 billion in investments and created more than 4,000 permanent jobs. The Okmiany team will play a key role in ensuring a top-level service for our customers across Poland and Europe – said Steven Harman, Vice President for Continental Europe Operations at Amazon.

The lucky seven. The facility in Okmiany near Bolesławiec built for Amazon marks already the seventh collaboration between the two companies. To date, the developer has provided the e-commerce leader with a total of 745,500 sqm of space – completing facilities in Poznań, Wrocław, Szczecin, Sosnowiec, Bolesławiec and Prague in the Czech Republic. Panattoni Europe is also working on a project in Pawlikowice, where an e-commerce logistics centre totalling in excess of 45,000 sqm will be delivered. Another successful project completion for Amazon confirms the importance of e-commerce as an area of expertise for Panattoni. Marek Dobrzycki, Managing Director Panattoni Europe explains: “Panattoni Europe delivers more and more e-commerce projects, being aware of exponential growth in this sector. In Poland, in 2018-2022 its value is set to grow by more than PLN 20 billion. No wonder then that as much as 30 per cent of the space built by Panattoni every year is dedicated to handling online shopping”.

The new facility as an opportunity for Lower Silesia, Lower Silesia as an opportunity for the facility. The development of large logistics facilities is always an important information in any region, as they guarantee many new jobs. There will be no shortage of those at the new logistics centre in Bolesławiec. Amazon plans to employ 1000 people in the space of 18 months since the launch of the facility, offering competitive remuneration and benefits packages. Moreover, the staff will be able to use a canteen designed for 400 people, comfortable offices and staff facilities as well as a spacious car park, all delivered by Panattoni Europe. The developer has also built a section of a local road, rebuilt a roundabout on a national road, and delivered a gas pipeline which also serves the local community.

Ecology. The project was carried out according to the principle of minimising the environmental impact of the facility and its construction. To this end, the building process was accompanied by a range of special measures, including monitoring the consumption of water and CO2, control of waste production (with a 90 per cent recovery rate), restriction of contamination with harmful substances through e.g. reduced nitric oxide emissions, as well as noise minimisation. From the onset of execution, a qualified ecologist was involved in the project, and the construction was preceded by a public consultation process.

Location. The new Amazon logistics centre, using state-of-the-art technologies, will receive products from sellers and suppliers, and then distribute them to Amazon’ e-commerce centres. The operations will be made easier by the excellent location in Lower Silesia. The centre lies a short distance from the A4 motorway – Poland’s longest, spanning the country’s western and south-eastern borders. Moreover, the proximity of the German and Czech borders will facilitate the transportation of goods from Southern and Western Europe. In this way, Amazon will be even more effective in satisfying the growing demand and will be able to support enterprises selling their products via its website and logistics network.