Global property group Goodman is developing its largest logistics property in Europe to date, with a 235,000 sqm logistics centre for Metro Group in Marl, Germany. The property is due to be completed in early 2018.
The new development will be the largest logistics hub of the Metro Group, one of the world’s leading wholesale and retail companies. With a total area of 235,000 sqm and generating over 1,000 jobs, it will be the largest logistics centre Goodman has developed in Europe to date.
Together with Carsten Löcker, Member of parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, local authority Chief Executive Cay Süberkrüb, Mayor Werner Arndt and around 100 other guests, the two companies celebrated the topping out of the new facility on July 3.
The new logistics facility in Marl will play a central role in Metro Group’s new logistics strategy and will combine the central German warehouses of real,- SB Warenhaus and Metro Cash & Carry in one location. The group’s own service company, Metro Logistics, will be responsible for the logistics of undertaking efficient distribution of over 26,000 different products from the food sector and several thousand non-food items.
As a result of the centralisation, Metro Group will achieve greater concentration of logistics and benefit from greater efficiency in storage and transport as well as shorter transport routes.
The new development, which is managed by Goodman, will comprise two buildings with areas of 83,000 sqm and 152,000 sqm respectively. In total, the site will have around 225,000 sqm of storage space, complemented by an area of 10,000 sqm for offices and social areas.
The buildings meet the highest quality standards of Goodman’s premium properties. For example it offers a hall height of 12 m, approx. 28,000 sqm of cold storage and 406 loading gates for efficient handling of goods.
Because of its sustainable design, which includes LED lighting throughout the facilities, the property is expected to receive a gold certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). In consultation with Metro, Goodman has also designed the property to have a flexible configuration so that it can cater to the upcoming introduction of an omnichannel distribution strategy, which is being planned by Metro Group.
