The Goodman Group has begun construction of a 48,200 sqm distribution center for BMW in the Bavarian town of Landshut, Germany. The new facility will have a direct connection to the adjacent BMW factory. Construction of the distribution center began in March 2016, and the handover of the facility to the client is planned for mid-2017.
The new facility in Bavaria is the second property built by Goodman for this automotive group within the last 12 months. In January, Goodman completed the construction of a 70,000 sqm distribution center for BMW in Kleinaitingen near Augsburg.
Modern, sustainable logistics center
The distribution center being built by Goodman is located on a site selected by BMW and consists of two buildings with an area of approximately 7,100 sqm and 40,650 sqm, respectively. The new facility will provide 38,200 sqm of warehouse space and will be equipped with special loading and unloading tunnels on the sides of each building. These special tunnels will enable efficient handling of transshipments and will be heated for the comfort of BMW employees. To optimize the logistics process, BMW will invest in an underground transport connection that will be used by trucks and electric shuttle trains to ensure a direct link between the Landshut factory and the distribution center being built by Goodman.
A significant part of the new 48,200 sqm distribution center will feature an internal hall with a height of 7.5 m with space for block storage. A section of the larger 15 m high building will form a high-bay warehouse (“pick tower”) for smaller parts and components. Additionally, the facility will have 2,400 sqm of office and social space.
The new distribution center will be equipped with LED lighting and gas radiant heaters to protect natural resources and reduce costs. Upon completion, the facility will receive a gold certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Goodman is the only leading industrial real estate company with a sustainable building plan that allows for the pre-certification of new facilities by the DGNB according to agreed guidelines. The plan includes 50 sustainability criteria assessing the environmental, economic, functional, and technical qualities of the building.
– We understand how extremely important operational cost optimization is for our clients, and thanks to careful observation of their logistics properties, we know how to help achieve this goal – said Dirk Mölter, Goodman Sustainability and Technical Director for Continental Europe. – This project posed a unique challenge for our technical team. On a plot with an irregular surface, we had to create an efficient solution and design each building to maximize their operational efficiency. Over the last 15 years, we have completed approximately 38 projects for clients in the automotive industry. In the case of more demanding projects, such as this one, we can rely on our in-depth understanding of the automotive sector’s expectations for logistics real estate and use best practices from our previous projects to deliver a top-class logistics center.
Continuation of successful cooperation
At the beginning of this year, Goodman handed over a new spare parts and accessories distribution center to BMW in the Bavarian town of Kleinaitingen. Goodman directly manages approximately 73,000 sqm of logistics space for BMW in Germany and Australia.
– In a short time, we have built a strong partnership with BMW, confirming the quality of our services and expertise resulting from our extensive experience in providing logistics real estate solutions for the automotive sector – said Christof Prange, Goodman Head of Business Development in Germany.
Extensive experience in the automotive industry
Providing 12 million jobs in Europe and accounting for 6% of the European Union’s GDP, the automotive industry is one of the most important sectors of the European economy. In 2015, a total of 13.7 million passenger cars were sold, which means an increase of 9.3% compared to 2014. The strength of the automotive sector drives demand for logistics real estate, especially in Germany. Goodman maintains its position as one of the leading developers for the automotive sector, owning and managing logistics properties with an area of over 550,000 sqm worldwide and 253,000 sqm in Germany.
Goodman’s presence in Bavaria
Employing over 400,000 people, the logistics sector in Bavaria is a growth factor and at the same time a key location for logistics real estate. In the federal state of Bavaria, Goodman manages a diverse portfolio of facilities with a total area of approximately 330,000 sqm for clients such as Amazon, BMW Group, DB Schenker, DHL, DSV, Ingram Micro, and Kuehne + Nagel.