FrieslandCampina will build a 70,000-square-metre distribution centre in the Netherlands, consolidating its activities across four current warehouses in the country.
The facility will be used to store and transfer dairy products from its plants in Beilen and Meppel, in the north of the country. The distribution centre will also be in Meppel. The investment will simplify FrieslandCampina’s distribution operation, which is currently spread between four different sites – in some cases 70km apart.
The distribution centre includes 31,000 square metres for storage and transfer intended for the export markets, and it will offer room for 45,000 pallets.
The restructuring will lead to a reduction of 1.5 million kilometres in transport mileage, saving almost 650,000kg in CO2 emissions.
FrieslandCampina corporate director of real estate Gerard Menting explained why Meppel was chosen as the location for the distribution hub: “As from November, various options in the region were extensively investigated and here the good accessibility both by road and by water, the possibilities for future expansion and the favourable central location with respect to our production locations of Meppel eventually settled the matter. Besides, an important contribution is made to the reduction of CO2 emissions.”
The distribution centre will provide 35 jobs. A declaration of intent was signed today by Menting, along with Meppel mayor Richard Korteland and alderman Henk ten Hulscher.
Earlier today, Nestlé Waters announced a €200 million investment in its Perrier factory in southern France.
And in September last year, FrieslandCampina announced that it would switch to ‘green steam’ at its cheese production plant in Balkbrug, the Netherlands.
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