Official ceremony
Dortmund, 17/09/2024 – Following an intensive planning phase, carried out in close coordination with all project partners and administrative authorities, the approval processes were completed successfully and excavations began for the new logistics centre in August of this year. To properly celebrate this milestone, NORDWEST Handel AG – alongside investor ROTHENGERGER REAL ESTATES, a member of the ROTHENBERGER Group – invited guests to a symbolic groundbreaking on 17 November in the Hessen city of Alsfeld, followed by an official ceremony. Hessen Premier Boris Rhein also acknowledged the new construction project at the new ‘Am weißen Weg’ industrial zone.
Around 120 guests took part in the groundbreaking for the new NORDWEST central warehouse – politicians, businesspeople, and members of the press among them. Hessen premier Boris Rhein, Dr. Helmut Rothenberger, CEO of Dr. Helmut Rothenberger Holding gmbH, and Alsfeld Mayor Stephan Paule took the opportunity to greet all of the attendees during the official portion of the event celebration.
Boris Rhein, Hessen premier: “Family businesses like Rothenberger AG and the specialist trade partners of NORDWEST Handel AG, most of which are owner-operated, independent and mid-sized companies, show what it means to take on responsibility. They carry out construction projects through their own force and competence, like the new logistics centre” said Rhein. He then added: “This understanding of business, the market, and competition is what has made Germany strong and stable. Family-owned companies grow our prosperity”.
Investor and developer Dr. Helmut Rothenberger added: “The new logistics centre in Alsfeld will be a milestone in the successful development of the NORDWEST Handel AG association and its roughly 1,255 specialist trade partners. The joint project between NORDWEST and ROTHENBERGER will deliver major competitive and cost advantages for trade partners and secure their futures for the long-term with state-of-the-art logistics technology. The decision to invest in economically and politically difficult times is likewise a commitment to the future viability of Hessen and Germany as a location for doing business. I would like to thank the project teams at NORDWEST and ROTHENBERGER for their excellent collaboration, which ultimately made this groundbreaking possible despite significant bureaucratic and planning hurdles”.
A focus on sustainability
The central warehouse in Alsfeld will stand out not only for its size and modern design, but also for its sustainable construction. NORDWEST is specifically focused on the ecological aspects of the project, and plans to not only install a photovoltaic system covering at least 50% of the roof surface, and to use heat pumps throughout the project, but also to install high-quality, energy saving façade insulation, CO2 saving LED lighting, and a rainwater recovery system to irrigate landscaping and for the building’s sanitary facilities. A large number of trees will be planted outside of the facility, and insect hotels, landscaped beds and water-permeable parking lots will be constructed. In addition, NORDWEST is also installing charging columns for e-vehicles, like those at its Dortmund headquarters.
Stephan Paule, Mayor of Alsfeld, remarked: “The start of construction by NORDWEST Handel AG is a milestone in the development of our new ‘Am weißen Weg’ industrial park. After the city connects the area to traffic routes, the first company will begin construction work in Alsfeld. Over a hundred million euros will be invested in state-of-the-art operating buildings and building technology. The design and construction will meet the most stringent sustainability standards for modern industrial buildings. The projects are expected to create more than 200 jobs. This is not only a commitment to our city as an attractive business location, but also a commitment to doing business in Germany. I would like to thank the representatives of NORDWEST as well as those of ROTHENBERGER REAL ESTATES, and in particular Dr. Helmut Rothenberger, who recognised the quality of Alsfeld as a location early on, as a majority shareholder in NORDWEST, and supported the decision-making process in the AG's board that led to this investment”.
The new construction is the largest investment yet in NORDWEST's over 100-year history. Based on the current schedule, construction work should be completed by the end of 2025, at which time the new mega-warehouse will be ready to send out its first shipments of goods. The automatic small parts warehouse is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026, marking full completion of the project.
Thorsten Sega, who is responsible for the Division of Logistics as Member of the NORDWEST Management Board, praised the importance of this day for the association: “This location, which is optimal in terms of economics and logistics, will further strengthen NORDWEST’s core area of competence in logistics. Our specialist trade partners will benefit from not only excellent availability of goods, but from even more efficient logistics perfectly reflecting the fragmented shipping structures in our industry. Longer order acceptance times, shorter order lead times and same-day shipping are decisive advantages that will help our trade partners succeed in an ever more competitive environment. The construction of our new central warehouse will, therefore, further improve our national and international competitiveness and that of our specialist trade partners, facilitate future growth, and elevate our services to an all-new level.
Goal: the most state-of-the-art German central warehouse in the B2B sector
For NORDWEST, the start of excavations at the ‘Am weißen Weg’ industrial park marks the start of an essential project for the future. The project is vital both for the Dortmund association and for NORDWEST’s specialist trade partners, as well as for the region as a whole. The new central warehouse will be an important hub for the flow of goods and B2B logistics within Germany. Goldbeck GmbH was selected as general contractor to carry out the construction project. The specialist for commercial and public building engineering, known for its expertise and reliability, will carry out the project efficiently and sustainably.
