Leading European fresh produce company Univeg will officially inaugurate its new distribution centre in Duisburg, near Düsseldorf in Germany, this afternoon, marking what it describes as 'an important milestone' in its history.
The logistical hub, which has cost €5m to develop, is the largest investment project to be undertaken by Univeg Germany in the past few years and represents the group's most significant undertaking in 2012.
Crucially, Univeg says the new centre will enable it to offer timely delivery of imported overseas products via the Port of Rotterdam, complementing other facilities oriented towards Spain and the rest of the Mediterranean.
As more and more European retailers look to source product direct and store less in their own facilities in order to trim costs, the Belgium-based group sees an opportunity to provide a valuable service to such customers.
'Even German retailers that have a network of their own warehouses delivering to their stores want to have less and less in store,' commented Francis Kint, managing director of Univeg's fruit and vegetable business unit, on the eve of the inauguration.
With a total surface area of 13,300m² and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the Univeg Duisburg Service building is regarded within the company as a solid base upon which its German division can expand its activities in the western part of the country.
A total of 39 ripening chambers, optimised in terms of their energy usage and air flow, have been installed with the aim of ensuring there is sufficient ripening capacity for bananas and exotic fruits.
The centre will apparently be used to pack and dispatch imported fresh produce as required by customers, with all incoming and departing products tested using the latest high-tech equipment.
