NORDFROST Expands Its Frozen Food HUB in Barsinghausen

The expansion of the NORDFROST branch in Barsinghausen has been completed and is now operational. The investment, primarily aimed at strengthening network logistics, transforms the former factory cold store into a modern and efficient transport HUB with generous handling capacities for frozen and fresh goods. Additionally, the expansion has increased the frozen storage capacity by 20,000 pallet spaces and installed a photovoltaic system with a capacity of 750 kWp on a roof area of 6,000 m².

(Schortens/Barsinghausen) The branch in Barsinghausen, conveniently located directly on the A2 motorway, is one of 40 nationwide logistics locations of the market leader in frozen food logistics. The current hub location was acquired by NORDFROST in 2003 through the purchase of AGROHANDEL. Since then, it has maintained storage capacities under one roof for various customer needs across all temperature ranges (frozen -22° C / positive 0° C to +18° C / dry), which have so far been divided into approximately 10,000 pallet spaces in the frozen area and nearly 4,000 m² of storage space in the fresh and dry storage areas.

With the construction project that started in October 2020 on an expansion area of approximately 9,300 m², the previous frozen storage capacity of the cold store in Barsinghausen has been tripled to a total of 30,000 pallet spaces through an extension. At the same time, the storage area for fresh goods is being expanded to nearly 1,000 m².

The generous frozen goods preparation areas behind 14 new loading gates, created as part of this construction project, now provide the logistics hub with significantly better opportunities regarding handling volume and flexibility for the shipping process. Dirk Stadler, branch manager of NORDFROST in Barsinghausen, is also pleased with the new, modern administrative building and adds: “The integration of the yard portal system additionally ensures short and fast routes, and our 3-shift operation guarantees maximum product availability.” Optimized offerings in storage and transport have been created here for customers in the food industry, with a variety of value-added services tailored to customer needs, such as order picking, packaging, and display construction, rounding off the service spectrum.

Strong Demand in the Transport Sector

Dr. Falk Bartels, chairman of the management board of the family-owned NORDFROST group, views the expansion of the logistics hub in the Hanover region as an important step in strengthening the company’s nationwide transport logistics network, through which frozen goods of all shipment sizes are delivered to various recipients such as retail branches, catering businesses, bakeries, or gas stations. “Given the high quality we offer our customers, our transport sector is experiencing strong demand. To meet this demand, we are gradually expanding our handling capacities. After the launch of the new NRW HUB in Herne last spring, the expansion in Barsinghausen is the next milestone on this path.”

Roof Area Equipped with Photovoltaics

Dr. Bartels continued: “We are also pleased to utilize the entire suitable roof area for electricity generation through photovoltaics for the first time during the expansion. The concept developed here, aimed at self-consumption, will be implemented in all new buildings and, if technically feasible, also in existing buildings, as we have always placed great importance on a conscious use of resources!” To realize the sustainability concept, NORDFROST has been equipping its new buildings with state-of-the-art cooling systems in combination with combined heat and power plants for the past 15 years.

NORDFROST, certified to the highest quality standards, such as IFS Logistics and Bio, or in the pharmaceutical sector at selected locations according to GDP, invested around 30 million euros in this construction project. As a result, the branch now offers approximately 80 jobs in the areas of storage, administration, and technology.

Photo: © NORDFROST