Bulk Distributor Jan/Feb 19 | Page 22

22 B ULK D ISTRIBUTOR Logistics January/February 2019 Imperial opens Osnabrück hazmat storage I mperial Logistics has opened a new hazardous materials warehouse near Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. The site features the latest safety and environmental protection systems, and began operations in December creating 70 new jobs. The Osnabrück location was officially opened by Sebastian Huedepohl, mayor of Rieste Municipality, in front of an audience of 150 local dignitaries, customers and workers. The development of the facility followed an Imperial study of regional demand for hazmat storage in the region, triggered by the specific needs of one of its major customers, and strong underlying demand growth. Imperial has been honing its expertise in chemical logistics for more than 30 years and is now a specialist in the storage of hazardous materials in Germany, working with many of the world’s major chemicals companies. Director of warehousing & distribution – business unit chemicals Michael Pohl said: “Because of our specialisation in this sector, and our close relationship with the key players, we discovered that there was an unsatisfied need for hazardous goods warehousing in this region. “Outsourced logistics solutions for this sector must be competent and economical, but also comply with rigorous regulations. Few logistics service providers can match Imperial Logistics’ ability to meet the rigorous regulatory requirements of building and operating a hazardous goods warehouse.” The 12,500 sqm warehouse accommodates 20,000 pallets of chemicals, within an area of 2.8ha. The varying storage needs of different clients will be offset in this multi-user facility, so clients only pay for actual capacity used. Materials of almost all classes will be stored in solid, liquid or gaseous form on racks or in blocks; the only commodities excluded will be radioactive and explosive substances. In addition to traditional warehousing, distribution, customs warehousing and clearance for chemicals producers and traders, the new facility enables Imperial to offer added-value services such as temperature-controlled storage and transport management, labelling, repacking and display construction. The company’s specialised chemical logistics IT solution will provide clients with data and statistics enabling them to identify trends and optimise operations. 22-24 MAY 2019 | SHANGHAI | CHINA The warehouse embodies numerous safety features; walls between storage sections are fireproof, as are all warehouse doors. All pallet racks are fitted with fire and smoke detectors, activating an integrated sprinkler system and automatically alerting the local fire brigade. Warning systems are triggered in the event of gas leaks or break-ins. In addition, any water used in fire-fighting is prevented from penetrating floors, and is safely collected in the building before professional disposal. The facility is located on the Niedersachsenpark, connected to Autobahn 1 – a major transport artery serving north-western Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and the Rhine/Ruhr region. Recently-appointed CEO of Imperial Logistics International Hakan Bicil added: “Leveraging our specialist competencies, resources and skills, we have delivered productivity increases of over 20 percent, cost efficiencies and improved risk management for our chemical clients. We will continue to customise our capabilities to drive our chemical clients’ competitiveness. “Hazardous goods storage and distribution is an exciting growth market in Europe. New products like lithium-ion batteries, and increasing regulation, make outsourcing an increasingly attractive option for clients. This is creating new business opportunities for us,” Bicil concluded. Today the company operates a total of around 20 specialist facilities throughout Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium with a total capacity of over 340,000 pallets. Services include on-site and off-site (single-user or multi-user) warehouses, at which it picks up to 4,000 orders daily and undertakes 800,000 shipments a year. 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