Panattoni has signed up UK retailer JD Sports for its 60,000 sqm distribution centre development in Heerlen in the southern Dutch province of Limburg and close to both the German and Belgian borders.
The new gateway facility is scheduled to become fully operational in early 2024 and will serve as a central logistic hub for JD Sports who has contracted GXO, the world largest pure-play contract logistics provider, to handle the retailer’s full omnichannel logistics management for Continental European markets.
The distribution centre will be equipped with the latest technology and automation solutions and is expected to create around 1,500 new jobs for Heerlen and the surrounding area in one of the biggest employment boosts for the South Limburg region in recent years.
The property is being constructed in line with the BREEAM “Very Good” sustainability certification.
Jeroen Gerritsen, Managing Director Panattoni Netherlands, said: “This former industrial site in Heerlen is undergoing a major redevelopment. We are applying circular building technologies to process on-site usable materials such as concrete and bricks from the outdated factory building and are reusing them to create a sustainable distribution centre powered by alternative energy sources to gas. Through a partnership with Sunrock, the distribution centre’s enormous roof will be transformed into a solar power plant that will supply the building itself as well as 2,000 households in the vicinity with renewable energy. The design also provides optimal lighting and fresh air to ensure the well-being of employees working in the centre.”
The distribution centre comprises 61,666 sqm GFA (gross floor area) warehouse space; 6,749 sqm GFA mezzanine space; 1,637 sqm GFA office space; and 330 car parking spaces.
Luc Laurijssens, GXO Managing Director for Belgium and the Netherlands, said: “We are excited to expand our partnership with JD Sports’ to the Netherlands on top of our current operations with JD Sports’ Go Outdoors brand in the United Kingdom. This agreement with one of the world’s leading retailers reinforces our position as an exceptional supplier of omnichannel logistics management. We are very much looking forward to supporting JD Sports with our vast experience and expertise in innovative technology and automated e-commerce logistics solutions to drive the best possible consumer experience.”
Martin de Beer, councillor from the municipality of Heerlen, welcomed JD Sports and GXO to Heerlen: “We are working on sustainable, healthy and future-proof work clusters. The new distribution centre for JD Sports is an excellent fit with the high-quality logistics cluster already located in our Parkstad business park on the Dutch-German border. This new facility also offers attractive employment opportunities to job seekers from around the region.”
About Panattoni Netherlands
Panattoni Netherlands develops, builds and manages industrial and logistics real estate. The company is part of Panattoni Europe, one of the largest industrial real estate developers in the world with 45 offices across North America and Europe — where it has been present since 2005. Panattoni is also one of the top-ranking consistent deployers of institutional and private wealth capital directly in deal opportunities in the European industrial and logistics investment market, investing on average around €4.0 billion a year. The company’s European headquarters is in Poland, and it has offices across Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, France and Sweden. Since inception, Panattoni has developed more than 14 million sqm of modern industrial space across Europe. Panattoni also specialises in developing build-to-suit projects specifically designed to fulfil the requirements of individual tenants. Clients include Amazon, DB Schenker, DHL, Fedex, DPD, XPO, Coca Cola, Weber, Whirlpool, Bosch, Volkswagen and H&M.
