Online specialist Alternate is setting up a new distribution centre on the Welgelegen industrial estate in Tholen. Years of e-commerce success forced the company to increase distribution capacity for Alternate Netherlands and Belgium.
The new logistics centre consists of a building 83 metres wide, 140 metres deep and 13 metres high. This will provide 11,500 square metres of warehouse space and 1,100 square metres of office space. The building will be equipped with solar panels and geothermal energy, making climate control in the building independent of fossil fuels.
Costo is responsible for the partial automation of the DC. For instance, it installed a conveyor system for the supply, removal and sorting of plastic crates. This system will be completed with scanners, an integrated weighing unit, camera, a box sealer, edge products and packing tables. The WCS (Warehouse Control System) module of sister company Xtend's Arrow platform will be used to control the system and the routing of the totes. The module will be integrated into Alternate's existing inventory system. The conveyor system connects to new shelving with a floor, supplied by Dexion. In the future, this shelf system can be expanded by another three floors, making it a five-layer shelf warehouse.
German-based Alternate sells white goods, electronics and multimedia products, with the warehouse in Tholen primarily for white goods and household electronics. From Tholen, Alternate will deliver directly to the end-user. The new logistics centre will also operate as a fulfilment partner of other companies. With the new DC, Alternate expects to reduce the pressure on the existing logistics centres. In the Benelux, the company operates from branches in Ridderkerk, Aartselaar and Tholen.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
