trans-o-flex lays foundation stone for logistics location with own electricity production

• Express carrier trans-o-flex expands capacity and increases productivity to handle increasing volumes
• Investment of 17 million euros in Westphalia
• One location for two networks: trans-shipment with active temperature control at 2 to 8 and 15 to 25 degrees Celsius ensures synergies

trans-o-flex, the express service provider, today laid the foundation stone for a new logistics centre in Hamm-Rhynern in the presence of numerous representatives from politics and business in Westphalia. The company not only wants to increase its capacity and productivity, but also reduce its ecological footprint. "In Hamm-Rhynern, we will for the first time implement a standard that will serve as an ecological and economic benchmark for future conversions and new buildings," says Wolfgang P. Albeck, Chairman of the trans-o-flex Management Board. Around 17 million euros will be invested in the new location, which is scheduled to start operations next spring.

A photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof of the more than 8,000 square metre trans-shipment hall to generate electricity. "We can use the energy to operate the automatic sorting plant, to control the temperature of the loading spaces of the vehicles before loading, or to charge the batteries our employees’ electric vehicles, for which we are planning several e-charging points," adds Albeck. The property will be tailor-made to fit into the trans-o-flex network and will enable trans-shipment in various temperature ranges. "We will handle goods in the ambient range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius as well as in the cooling range between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius". As a result, the new location can merge two previously separate trans-o-flex Group trans-shipment points. "We can integrate both the trans-shipment of refrigerated pharmaceuticals in the ThermoMed network and the trans-shipment of actively temperature-controlled goods in the room-temperature range as well as non-temperature-controlled goods in the trans-o-flex Express network into the new facility in Hamm-Rhynern. We are thus creating further synergies between our various networks".

The plant will be erected on a 33,000 square meter site. The logistics centre will be equipped with LED lighting technology and a particularly strong thermal insulation on its outer skin, to allow construction and operation according to the latest ecological and energetic criteria. A special rainwater trap is also planned so that rainwater is not drained off through the sewer system but flows back into the natural cycle. The new trans-shipment centre will be built in the shape of a Y. This concept minimises the use of space, as it allows more doors for loading and unloading than other designs with the same hall area.