Port of Tallinn and Unieveem Estonia have signed a cooperation agreement to build a warehouse complex and a hub in Muuga Harbour.
Unieveem Estonia is part of one of the world’s largest logistics companies Katoen Natie headquartered in Antwerp in Belgium. Under the agreement, in the first stage the company plans to build a 25,000 m² modern warehouse and distribution complex in Muuga Harbour on a 4.5 ha territory, chiefly for cocoa beans and other cocoa-based semi-finished goods. Chief Executive of Unieveem Estonia Mart Melles says that the construction of the warehouse complex will cost 16 million euros and it should become operative in Q1 2013. At first the new warehouse complex will provide work for 25 people.
According to Ain Kaljurand, Chairman of the Management Board of Port of Tallinn, a logistics company as huge as Katoen Natie becoming a customer of Port of Tallinn definitely is a landmark conveying a positive message of Port of Tallinn’s potential in the entire logistics industry. “We believe that Katoen Natie entering Estonia will not go unnoticed by other major players, and Katoen Natie being one of Muuga Industrial Park’s so-called anchor customers will also make other storage, logistics, or production companies seeking to enter the Baltic Sea region rather opt for Port of Tallinn when choosing the location,” noted Kaljurand.
In the second stage Katoen Natie aims to establish in Muuga Harbour one of its key hubs in the Baltic Sea region also for other groups of goods. With the establishment of its own hub in Muuga, Katoen Natie hopes to offer its customers a reliable and quality service, functioning as a bridge between the East and the West. The company is engaged in the provision of logistics solutions in several sectors, including manufactured goods, the car industry, etc.
At present Katoen Natie has 159 logistics centres in 28 countries worldwide. The company provides work for 10,500 people and the area of the covered warehouses being operated totals more than five million square meters.