Nedcargo will open a mega distribution centre in Belgium in spring 2017. From the new DC in Willebroek, Nedcargo aims to supply the entire Benelux.
The distribution centre covers an area of forty thousand square metres. In 2019, Nedcargo plans to expand this by another twenty thousand square metres. The building is located next to a terminal on the Brussels-Willebroek canal. The supply and removal of products is therefore done by inland navigation. According to the logistics provider, this is a big improvement. It currently hauls thousands of containers by truck through the Netherlands and Belgium, as the current distribution centres are not accessible by train or inland navigation. Frank van Steijvoort, director Nedcargo Belgium, therefore calls the location "a dream for every logistics service provider". "It will be a warehouse tailored to our customers that meets the latest safety and environmental requirements. We also have the opportunity to expand considerably and serve new customers. And then it is also adjacent to a terminal!"
From the DC in Willebroek, Nedcargo will transport more expensive products such as wine, liqueurs and specific A-brands. This is because for these products, the centre of gravity in the Benelux is further south. In addition, the place is good for products from overseas imports. "It is located on the sea canal and we can start an inland shipping service directly at the distribution centre. We will then also open markets as importers of food products such as rice, seeds and other agricultural commodities. We will mainly compete with the locations in the seaports where these products are traditionally handled and stored," Van Steijvoort explains.
In the Netherlands, Nedcargo is building a distribution centre in Alphen aan den Rijn. This DC is located at the Alpherium barge terminal. By deploying inland barges, the company wants to take ten thousand trucks off the road and thus work in a more environmentally friendly way.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
