04
November
2009
|
17:15
Europe/Berlin

New logistics hub for Hamburg

In the presence of numerous customers and business partners from industry and trade, Ole von Beust, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and Chairman Klaus-Michael Kuehne officially opened one of the Kuehne + Nagel Group’s largest logistics centres in Obergeorgswerder to the south of Hamburg. The opening underlines the Company’s growth-oriented business strategy and its commitment to the Elbe metropolis.

The new complex of buildings which comprises five warehouses and two office facilities is situated on a 120,000 sqm plot of land and was completed after a construction period of roughly one year. The multifunctional facility provides 44,000 sqm of warehousing and handling space and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Featuring 166 loading bays, a spacious vehicle yard and closed-circuit TV, the logistics centre is geared to ensure fast and secure freight handling. The total investment amounts to 55 million euros.

Great importance was attached to the environmentally-friendly and sustain­able architectural design and operations of the facility, demonstrated through extensive green spaces and plants as well as the lighting and heating systems and the use of regene­ra­tive energies. Kuehne + Nagel’s environ­mental commitment is also exemplified in a photo­voltaic array on a roof space of 4,500 sqm which is among the largest in Hamburg.

With the opening of its new logistics centre in the Hamburg area Kuehne + Nagel is meeting the continuous demand for cost efficient integrated logistics solutions. The location is of particular importance for national and inter­national overland traffic. The dimension and technical equipment of the handling spaces support the ambitious growth targets Kuehne + Nagel has set itself in this strategic business unit.

Consolidating the activities of contract logistics, overland transport, sea­freight import and export, sales and management under one roof allows for more efficient processes and the generation of synergies. In Obergeorgs­werder Kuehne + Nagel currently employs a staff of 450, of which 20 people work in newly created jobs.

Klaus-Michael Kuehne commented: “After our new German head office in the HafenCity and our logistics terminal in Altenwerder, the completion of this large-scale facility in Obergeorgswerder marks the third major invest­ment in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg within six years. This underlines the outstanding importance of Hamburg as a logistics location for the globally operating Kuehne + Nagel Group. Just as in the HafenCity, we are among the pioneers of location optimisation. I am convinced that this new hub will considerably enlarge our service offering and at the same time will strengthen Hamburg’s position as an important logistics metropolis.”

Ole von Beust, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, said: “This investment shows Kuehne + Nagel’s loyalty to this location as well as their strong bond with Hamburg.”