ECE and Hermes hold topping-out ceremony for new logistics center in Ansbach, Germany

Construction work on the new warehouse for Hermes Fulfilment and the new main transshipment base for the Hermes Einrichtungs Service in Ansbach, Germany, is progressing rapidly, with the shell having recently been completed in the project that began in late 2018.

Recently the project partners ECE, Hermes Fulfilment, and Hermes Einrichtungs Service held the topping out ceremony for the new logistics center together with Mayor Carda Seidel, the general contractor Goldbeck, and all of the construction workers involved. The new logistics property will be used by both of the Hermes Group companies and will be dedicated to the logistical processing of furniture, large electrical appliances, and other bulky goods. The building complex encompasses two halls with a total area of approximately 76,000 sq m. Hermes Fulfilment will operate a 53,000 sq m warehouse for the online retailer OTTO at the site. Hermes Einrichtungs Service will operate a logistics hub covering an additional 15,000 sq m to handle goods for its clients. A total of approximately 170 hall doors will be installed for loading and unloading operations. The areas for offices, social rooms, and technical facilities used by both companies span a further 8,000 sq m. Once complete, the facility will create up to 600 new jobs. Over the past 11 months, the team moved a total of 350,000 cubic meters of earth and used 24,000 cubic meters of concrete and 2100 tons of steel in the construction of the new building.

The state-of-the-art logistics center, which is scheduled for completion by early 2020, is being built on a 186,000 sq m site in the Ansbach-West Industrial Park. Thanks to its convenient location and direct connection to the A6 freeway, it is easily accessible and enhances Ansbach’s position as a logistics hub in the western part of the Nuremberg metropolitan region. The logistics complex is being developed and built in accordance with the latest sustainability standards and will be certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) – ECE is striving to achieve a DGNB Certificate in gold. All in all, a total of 90 million euros will be invested in the new facility. In May 2019, ECE closed the deal to acquire the logistics property together with the international real estate investment manager Savills Investment Management. The logistics center was acquired for the Savills IM European Logistics Fund 2.

“We are delighted about this major investment in the Ansbach-West Industrial Park,” said Mayor Carda Seidel. “The opening of this new facility will greatly benefit Ansbach as a business hub, and not just because of the many jobs that will be created here between now and 2020. This is truly a win-win situation for our city and the company.”

Volker Weidemann, General Manager of Hermes Fulfilment Ansbach GmbH, is confident that “the new facility will raise the bar when it comes to large-scale logistics.” “We’ve already hired the logistics center’s first employees. But we’re still looking for qualified industrial, administrative, and IT staff so that we can get off to a great start with a motivated team immediately after we begin operations.”

According to Uwe Göttfert, Ansbach site manager at Hermes Einrichtungs Service: “We are extremely pleased with how well construction is progressing, not to mention the outstanding and constructive collaboration with all those involved. Our hiring activities for the main transshipment facility are also proceeding at a rapid pace, which is why we’re confident that we’ll be prepared for a successful start in the spring of next year.”

ECE is overseeing the entire construction project, from initial planning to turnkey handover. In addition to the Ansbach site, ECE has already built a warehouse and logistics facility for Hermes Fulfilment and Hermes Einrichtungs Service in Löhne, located in the Westphalia region of Germany. Furthermore, ECE has built a total of seven regional distribution centers for Hermes Germany over the past three years, including in Graben, near Augsburg, and in Bad Rappenau, near Heilbronn.