“It is the largest project of its kind currently being developed by the Fiege Group”, so Dr. Hugo Fiege, co-proprietor of the Fiege Group, Greven, about the new Rhine-Ruhr Logistics Center in Neuss/Germany. “The new centre forms a further milestone in our network of Mega Centers which we started establishing over the past two years throughout Europe”. In the presence of numerous invitees from politics and business – spearheaded by the Minister-President of North-Rhine Westphalia, Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers – the foundation stone was laid on this day at the “Tucher Straße” business park in Neuss-Uedesheim, for it to be integrated into the building at a later point in time.
The Rhine-Ruhr Logistics Center will be built on an area of 160,000 square metres. With a hall measuring 522 metres in length and 160 metres in width the logistics centre, when completed, will offer more than 83,500 square metres of warehouse and logistics space in addition to over 5,000 square metres for offices and recreational areas, commanding an investment total of around Euro 80 million supplied by the investor Deka Immobilien, Frankfurt. A workshop for trucks and cars, plus a petrol station offering biofuel and vegetable oil, complement the logistical facility.
“The logistics centre in Neuss has afforded us the opportunity to invest into what is currently one of Germany’s most interesting logistics projects”, says Dr. Matthias Danne, member of the Real Estate Board at Dekabank. “With this project we also acknowledge Neuss as a supply chain site in the Rhine-Ruhr district, which we trust will experience magnificent prospects.”
The first operator taking up a partial area of 40,000 square metres at the complex of hangars which is structured as a multi-user centre is TechnoCargo Logistik (TCL), a joint venture between the Vaillant Group and Fiege. TCL organises all supply chain flows for the products of the globally leading specialist of heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology, the Vaillant Group, and for other customers operating in this industry in the neighbouring town of Hilden.
The majority of qualified TCL employees all have major experience and know-how and will remain in charge of supply chain operations in Neuss. A further 40,000 square metres of state-of-the-art storage and logistics space are available for other customers and industries. The Vaillant Group, the largest customer of TCL, benefits from the optimised supply chain processes at this new location. Contracts can be handled clearly faster and logistical expenses are lowered. In addition, the Neuss logistics centre offers cutting-edge storage facilities for products based on sustainable forms of energy such as solar heat and photovoltaic units or heat pumps, all of which are gaining importance for the business of the Vaillant Group.
Once completed, the Fiege Rhine-Ruhr Logistics Center will provide jobs for between 500 to 700 people. A construction period of around nine months is envisaged, so that TCL can start moving in autumn 2008 already. The logistics centre has been designed as a multi-user centre, which under a single roof allows customers from a variety of industries to enjoy supply chain services while drawing on so-called breathing effects and synergies.
“The new logistics centre is synonymous with our stationary logistics and demonstrates the high competency of the Fiege Group within contract logistics”, emphasises Dr. Hugo Fiege. “As a pioneer of contract logistics we continue to further our investment strategy in Europe, in which we have invested around Euro 350 million over the past two years.”