Swiss Post Expands Logistics Center in Villmergen

With the growing online trade, Swiss Post not only delivers more packages to doorsteps every year, but also takes on more logistics tasks for business customers. Storing, packaging, customs clearance, and shipping goods: the demand for comprehensive logistics solutions from the Post is increasing. Therefore, the Post is expanding the existing location in Villmergen into its largest warehouse logistics center by 2025.

(Bern/Villmergen) A warehouse area the size of about eight football fields is being created in Villmergen over five floors, and a photovoltaic system is being installed on the roof. The Post is investing 137 million Swiss francs and creating around 100 additional jobs. The groundbreaking ceremony took place today.

From soft drinks from a food manufacturer to refrigerators and medical products: for business customers, the Post stores a wide variety of goods, assembles orders, handles spare part deliveries, or takes care of customs clearance and shipping. With the growing and fast-paced online trade, more and more companies are relying on the services of the Post. To meet this increasing demand, the Post is investing around 137 million Swiss francs at its Villmergen location and significantly expanding its storage capacities. A completely new logistics center is being created.

Additionally around 100 full-time positions

“The expansion and renovation will help us continue to provide industrial and commercial companies in Switzerland with logistics solutions from A to Z, thereby simplifying their access to the market,” says Johannes Cramer, Head of Logistics Services and member of the Executive Board of the Post. Together with Roland Heizmann, Head of National Goods Logistics at the Post, and Ueli Lütolf, Mayor of Villmergen, he symbolically broke ground on site today. In the new logistics center, the Post will create around 100 additional full-time positions – primarily for logistics specialists, facility maintenance staff, and administrative personnel. Mayor Ueli Lütolf is also convinced: “The Post is an important employer in our community. We are pleased that it is committing to our economic location with the expansion of its logistics center.”

Warehouse space on eight football fields

The Post operates various locations for its goods logistics in Switzerland and in neighboring countries. It is expanding its logistics center in Villmergen with four extensions. Among other things, the Post is installing a state-of-the-art automatic high-bay warehouse with space for 23,000 pallets and 125,000 automatic containers for small goods – everything from pot holders to computer accessories to children’s toys is included. With the new building, the Post is increasing its storage area in Villmergen to a total of 57,000 square meters over five floors. This corresponds to the area of about eight football fields. Thus, the largest and most modern hub of the Post for its warehouse logistics is being created in Villmergen. With the new warehouse, the Post will relieve its other logistics centers in Dintikon, Mägenwil, and Oftringen, which are reaching their capacity limits due to growing demand. The Post plans to put the new building into operation at the beginning of 2025.

Power needs largely covered by solar panels

The Post aims to be climate-neutral company-wide by 2040. Even today, it operates some of the largest photovoltaic systems in Switzerland on the roofs of its buildings. Nationwide, 27 Post facilities currently produce over 10 gigawatt-hours of solar power annually. The Post is also installing a system on the roof of the new Villmergen warehouse center that will provide over 1,200 megawatt-hours of solar power per year. This will largely cover the energy needs of the center.

Title photo: © Swiss Post / Image caption: 1. Expansion of existing building to 90,000 small parts containers / 2. New intermediate building with 3,600 m2 of floor space and 5 floors / 3. New extension with 1,600 m2 of floor space and 5 floors / 4. New extension with 2,600 m2 of floor space, 3 floors, and 15,000 medium parts spaces / 5. Pallet high-bay warehouse with 22,900 pallet spaces