Freight Forwarding Group Finances New Logistics Centres

CZECH REPUBLIC – SINGAPORE – News from freight forwarding group DB Schenker Logistics over the past week gives details of two new logistics centres with a total investment of about €64 million. Construction has started on the first of the new facilities, a 90,800 square metre premises which will become a workplace for 320 employees based in Rudná u Prahy, close to the Czech capital. DB Schenker is investing €23.5 million in the project with operations scheduled to start this autumn.

The logistics centre will consist of an 8,000 square metre hall, featuring 92 loading platforms, including six jumbo platforms, and a 4,700 square metre office building. The premises will be equipped with an intelligent lighting system and a top-of-the-range HVAC system (heating, ventilation, air conditioning). The security system has been designed to ensure highest standards to enable DB Schenker to apply for the Technology Asset Protection Association (TAPA) A level certification. The group hopes that customers will also benefit from a bonded warehouse and a warehouse dedicated to hazardous and flammable substances (ADR). Tomáš Holomoucký, Managing Director at Schenker spol s r.o. said:

"The new centre will contribute our further growth in the Czech Republic. Our new premises will contribute to faster transit times, due to excellent traffic links. And we will offer the full range of logistics services, including handling of air and ocean containers.”

Both the office building and the warehouse are designed to ensure minimum impact on the environment. An in-house photovoltaic power station and a system for solar heating of hot service water are a part of the project with a heat pump also planned. The architects also plan a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station for passenger cars as recommended by the recent European Commission report featured here last week. The modern centre will include resting zones, a café and canteen and there will be 178 parking spaces for passenger cars and 90 for trucks. Generously planned green areas will spread over 37,000 square metres.

The second logistics centre will be located at the Tampines LogisPark, close to Changi International Airport, Singapore. The facility will be a shared warehouse for customers from various industries and have a gross floor area of approximately 54,520 square metres spread across three floors. The company will invest €41 million into its development, which is expected to be completed in Q2 2014.

As with other Schenker developments environmental credibility ranks high on the list of priorities and the development has been earmarked to be awarded Green Mark Gold Plus. The new Singapore facility will feature a composite wall panel as part of the building perimeter, providing highly effective thermal insulation. A rainwater management system will contribute to enhanced water efficiency for landscape irrigation, while an efficient air-conditioning system will serve to minimise energy consumption and improve air flow distribution within the premises. Darren Wedding, Senior Vice President - Contract Logistics/SCM, Region Asia Pacific, DB Schenker commented:

"This new facility represents our largest investment in the region to date and acknowledges the continued attractiveness of Singapore as a location to conduct logistics operations. This facility is a key element of our Shared Logistics Centre Strategy that will see many new sites developed across the Asia Pacific Region in the coming years."

Photo: Schenker already have an established presence in Singapore.