The company said it will be able to offer within a few weeks a logistics facility measuring 65,000 square metres, with 56 loading and unloading gates. This expands its existing distribution storage space by 15,000 sq. metres.
The total capacity of the centre will be up to 85,000 pallet places, spread over four sections. There are special areas for temperature-controlled goods.
Peter Sauer, a Schenker spokesperson, said the logistics centre serves the Benelux countries -- Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. About 99 per cent of the goods handled are foods and drinks. With the new temperature controlled storage space, Schenker will now be able to offer a expanded range of services to its customers.
"Our clients are interested in getting a one-stop solution to their distribution," he told FoodProductionDaily.com. "The market for these types of goods is growing."
The facility became operational in 2005 with 51,000 square meters built for 240,000 tonnes of outgoing goods and 23 million picked cases per year. The new fourth section will have cooling units on the roof, so that the goods can be stored and handled at the right temperature.
'"This gives us even more flexibility, so that we can deal more easily with peak demand from existing and new customers," stated Frans Broeckx, Schenker's director of physical distribution.
An area of 16,000 square meters is already reserved for temperature-controlled goods, with 13,000 square meters being kept at a temperature of 18°C and 3,000 square meters at a constant 15°C. The new section will also have a cool room of 700 square meters with a refrigerator temperature of between 3°C and 10°C.
Schenker provides logistics and distribution for fast moving consumer goods. The company has annual sales of about €8.9bn, 42,000 employees and about 1,100 offices around the world.
Schenker is a part of DB Logistics, the transportation and logistics division of Deutsche Bahn in Germany.