'Future of distribution centers lies in repurposing brownfield sites'

Insider information speeds construction of distribution center

Is there profit in building a second phase distribution center on a former landfill? "Yes," you might say, but with today's perils, that remains to be seen. Despite the challenges faced by construction company Van der Heijden of Schaijk, such as supply problems of concrete and steel due to the war in Ukraine, Van der Heijden was able to keep its promise and delivered well ahead of schedule.

Prologis' 28,000 m2 distribution center in Eindhoven-North is the result of close cooperation between construction company Van der Heijden and its client, logistics real estate company Prologis. Thanks to prior knowledge gained by the construction company during the first phase of the project, engineering could be completed on time and construction of the distribution center could begin. "We knew that the war in Ukraine could cause delivery problems," says construction company Van der Heijden's contractor Jos van Tilburg. "We made this known to the client even before the signing. Immediately after the signing of the contract in May 2022, we fixed the delivery of the main components in order to have certainty of timely delivery. The team is now a well-oiled machine. We are well attuned to each other and - as cliché as it may seem - it's about making it together. In this project, everyone was willing to take responsibility during the difficult times. Both the client and the tenant(s) and the partners in execution had the willingness to make this a successful project. That's how we were able to pour the concrete foundation in July 2022."

Thinking in terms of opportunities and possibilities

The delivery of the steel needed for the construction of the distribution center, however, was more difficult. "That came later than we had originally planned," Van Tilburg points out. "We discussed this challenge with the entire execution team. At Van der Heijden, we have the method of thinking in terms of opportunities and possibilities. And with this way of working we have now infected our partners as well. This demands something of the entire team, including commitment and flexibility. We can only realize our construction work through very good coordination and input with and from all parties involved. This creates responsibility. Looking at what can be done." Van der Heijden began building the steel structure just after the summer break of 2022 and took a total of nine weeks to build it. In this, the construction team succeeded and the work was completed well ahead of schedule. 

Sensing desires

In addition, Van der Heijden bouwbedrijf had the advantage of knowing Prologis well as a client, as this was the third project the Brabant-based construction company had carried out for the logistics real estate company. Van Tilburg: "We know Prologis better and better. This allows us to get a good feel for the requirements and make proposals in advance. We are fulfilling sustainability ambitions in terms of the BREEAM and WELL Building certificates together. Through this redevelopment, Prologis not only contributes to the growth of the region, but also to promoting sustainability by utilizing existing locations. And thanks to our prior knowledge of phase 1 of this project, which we carried out in 2020, we saved time in the engineering phase," Van Tilburg said.