DACHSER Celebrates Groundbreaking for New Logistics Facility in Unna

DACHSER is building a new logistics facility in Unna, east of Dortmund. For around 44 million euros, a warehouse with space for 22,000 pallets, as well as a 9,400 square meter transshipment terminal and office space, will be created. The operational start is planned for the fourth quarter of 2025 with about 120 employees. In the medium term, 290 people will have their workplace at the new location in Unna.

(Kempten/Unna) On October 28, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place. Present were, among others, Dirk Wigant, Mayor of the district town of Unna, Sascha Dorday from the Economic Development Agency of the Unna district, as well as other representatives from DACHSER and the general contractor, the List Group.

“With the new building, we are strengthening our presence for customers in the eastern Ruhr area and securing our future,” said Jürgen Sobkowiak, General Manager of DACHSER Dortmund, on the occasion of the groundbreaking. “In the coming months, a state-of-the-art logistics facility will be built here with a special focus on sustainability and good working conditions.”

Andreas Fritsch, Managing Director of European Logistics Germany at DACHSER, added: “This is a win not only for customers in the region but also for our employees and the entire DACHSER network, which we are strengthening with this new hub.”

“The new location in Unna is one of the largest single investments in our land transport network in recent years,” said Alexander Tonn, COO of Road Logistics at DACHSER. “With it, we are creating valuable capacities to meet the transport and logistics needs of tomorrow. The economic situation in Germany is currently tense. However, we are convinced that it is especially important to invest in quality and service right now.”

“The new location in Unna is one of the largest single investments in our land transport network in recent years. With it, we are creating valuable capacities to meet the transport and logistics needs of tomorrow,” said Alexander Tonn, COO of Road Logistics at DACHSER with pleasure.

Multi-User Warehouse

The new logistics facility features a so-called multi-user warehouse with an area of 10,800 square meters. The 22,000 pallet spaces provide room for goods from various industrial customers. In addition to storage, the employees on-site will take care of various additional services (Value Added Services). These include, for example, packing assortment boxes or promotional packages, labeling, special packaging, assembly, or display construction.

Directly next to the warehouse, a hall for goods transshipment is being built with an area of 9,400 square meters and 94 gates for docking trucks. This allows shipments to be distributed quickly and efficiently via local transport or fed into DACHSER’s general cargo network.

In addition, the transshipment terminal will be equipped with the award-winning @ILO technology for general cargo transshipment. The digital twin, which won the German Logistics Award 2023, eliminates manual scanning processes in goods receipt, thereby accelerating individual handling processes and generally providing more transparency in the general cargo terminal. Furthermore, a modern administrative building with 3,500 square meters of usable space will be constructed at the site.

Previously Managed Area Will Be Newly Developed

“In Unna, we are using the so-called ‘Brownfield’ approach. We are developing a previously used site in the industrial park and not sealing any additional areas,” explains Jürgen Sobkowiak. “We have enough space here for a well-equipped logistics location and also benefit from the very good transport connections.”

The facility focuses on energy efficiency and sustainability. The roof areas of the warehouse are equipped with a photovoltaic system with a capacity of 800 kilowatt-peak (maximum output). The roof areas of the transshipment terminal and administrative building will be greened. Environmentally friendly materials, such as glued laminated timber in the roof construction, will be used in the construction. A heat pump ensures the right temperature in the offices. Additionally, charging points for battery-electric cars and trucks will be installed.

Photo: © DACHSER / Caption (l. to r.): Sascha Dorday (Economic Development Agency of the Unna District), Jürgen Sobkowiak (General Manager DACHSER Dortmund), Dirk Wigant (Mayor of the District Town of Unna), Andreas Fritsch (Managing Director of European Logistics Germany at DACHSER), Jens Schulte (Managing Director of LIST Bau Nordhorn)