Construction is on schedule and the site should be fully operational by spring 2025.
Bernburg (Saale), GERMANY — “We are delighted that we can celebrate the topping-out ceremony for our high-performance distribution center here in Bernburg (Saale) today. With the support of our partners, the city, the district and the state of Saxony-Anhalt, we consider ourselves lucky that the construction is progressing so quickly and according to plan,” explains Slobodan Puljarevic, President Avnet EMEA. “For us as a company, this means that the Bernburg site will enable us to serve the growing market needs and implement our growth strategy in Europe.”
“The new high-performance distribution center is Avnet’s third logistics location in Europe, alongside Poing (Germany) and Tongeren (Belgium). Phil Gallagher, CEO of Avnet, comments on the investment in the location: “Europe is one of the most successful regions for Avnet’s global business. Germany is one of our most important markets. We are delighted that we can continue to grow in such an important location for us in Europe. We would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support with this project and we hope that we can make our contribution to Bernburg as a business location.”
“After we were able to announce the start of construction here in Bernburg a good year ago, the topping-out ceremony that we are celebrating today is a further milestone for Avnet in finding another home in Bernburg (Saale),” explains Roswitha Heiland, Vice President Avnet Logistics EMEA. “This will create several hundred jobs over the next few years and also demonstrate our social commitment and responsibility in the region.” The company has already taken on its first 10 employees and has already established initial partnerships with Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. With the new logistics center, Avnet is also focusing on further sustainable and environmentally friendly measures: “The plan is to primarily dispense with fossil fuels and rely entirely on renewable energies and green electricity. The installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof areas is planned,” adds Roswitha Heiland.
Sven Schulze, Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt, emphasizes: “Avnet’s relocation is further proof of the attractiveness of Saxony-Anhalt as a business location. The speed at which this project is being planned and implemented is a clear signal to other national and international companies: The conditions in Saxony-Anhalt are right for investments of this magnitude. This is of great importance for the continued positive economic development of our region. The state of Saxony-Anhalt will continue to do everything in its power to stay in the fast lane and be attractive for investment.”
For the city of Bernburg (Saale), Mayor Dr. Silvia Ristow is very pleased: “We are observing the construction progress on the Avnet site with positive recognition, especially as the personnel course for the commissioning of the distribution center is being set in parallel with the local partners, the employment agency and personnel service providers as well as the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. We also sense the company’s willingness to get involved in the life of the city. We wish the further course of the project the best possible success.”
“Avnet’s impressive and visible progress has accompanied our work, and we have accompanied Avnet’s. Right from the start,” emphasizes Markus Bauer, District Administrator of the Salzland district. “I’m thanking first of all of the professional cooperation for all the building permits that have been granted so quickly so far. But not only that. The new location will strengthen the Salzland district as a business, science and residential location overall. We help each other, train workers ourselves and provide the necessary infrastructure or demand it together, as with the Salzlandbahn. Avnet is already a true partner,” said the district administrator, full of praise. “I would like to thank them for this and look forward to many more joint advances in Bernburg for the Salzland district.”
“Our thanks go to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the IMG, the city of Bernburg (Saale) and the Salzland district for their great support and cooperation. We would also like to thank our many partners, without whom the planning and implementation would not have been possible: Körber Supply Chain Automation GmbH, the Max Bögl Group and Tricer Management GmbH, as well as our partners Miebach Consulting,“ concludes Roswitha Heiland.
Details on the high-performance distribution center:
On a site area of approx. 190,000 m², a high-performance distribution center is being built with several logistics hall sections and adjacent social and administrative buildings, as well as corresponding road and path areas and on-site parking spaces for cars (min. 400) and trucks (min. 22). The building height per hall is between approx. 14 and 35 meters (external height). In the first construction phase, a total of 56,000 m² of logistics space, 4,600 m² of office space and a product finishing center (PMC) with an area of approx. 1,100 m² will be created. Possible expansion areas are planned. A total of around 700 jobs are to be created here by 2031. With its convenient location, Bernburg (Saale) offers a fast and effective link to the Leipzig-Halle freight airport.
With the successful start of construction in September 2022 and the topping out in November 2023, gradual commissioning is planned for 2024 with the aim of being fully operational by spring 2025. Up to 19,000 parcels are to be delivered from here daily to over 30,000 customers worldwide. The site in Bernburg (Saale) complements the company’s two existing European distribution centers in Tongeren, Belgium, and Poing near Munich. According to the company, the investment amounts to over 225 million euros.
For more information please visit: www.avnet.com/logistics-EMEA
