One of the world’s leading logistics companies Katoen Natie begins the construction of the biggest, 65 000 m2 covered logistics centre in Estonia in the Port of Muuga this Friday, 20 July with a total investment of 30 million Euros.
The Director of Katoen Natie Estonia Mart Melles claims that the company chose the Port of Muuga to be the location for the new logistics centre due to the straightforward and favourable tax system in the Republic of Estonia and because of the Port of Tallinn’s clear and understandable position. “We had previously purchased land in Muuga and some cargo was already passing through Estonia – these circumstances lead to a decision to build the logistics centre servicing the Baltic Sea region in Muuga,“ noted Melles.
“By creating our own hub in Muuga, we hope to offer a reliable quality service to our clients, bridging the East and the West and enabling cargo flows to Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine,” explained Melles.
The Chairman of the Port of Tallinn’s Management Board Ain Kaljurand believes that cooperation with a logistics company such as Katoen Natie has an important impact, since it enables diversifying the product groups serviced in the Port of Muuga. “In its new strategy in 2008, the Port of Tallinn concentrated on the introduction of new modes of transport and adding additional value to commodities – in recent years we have built infrastructures that service new products and services and developed industrial parks that have now created an advantage amongst competitors ,“ says Kaljurand.
“We also see that the presence of Katoen Natie creates additional interest for other international logistics companies in the possibilities offered by the Port of Muuga,“ claims Kaljurand.
The logistics centre will be constructed in three phases – the first phase consists of a 25 000 m2 warehouse equipped with a railway connection and a 300 m2 administrative building. An additional 40 000 m2 warehouse will be added in the second stage and the third stage envisages the construction of 44 silos for the handling of plastic granules.
The first phase of the storage and distribution centre will be completed and will become operational in the first quarter of 2013. The new logistics centre will service the transportation of various product groups in the Baltic Sea region, especially cocoa products, consumer goods, plastic goods, etc.
The constructed warehouse will be completely environmentally friendly and safe, because no noise or smell is produced as the goods are processed. The processing and storage of specific products is carried out in different warehouses and special warehouse sections. Additional investments into alarm and fire safety systems as well as building materials have been made.
After the project is completed, Katoen Natie will become the biggest logistics service provider in the Port of Muuga that will create jobs for a total of 60 people.
Katoen Natie is a Belgian company that was founded in 1854 and presently has 159 logistics centres in 31 countries worldwide. The warehouses it operates cover an area of more than 5 million m2 in total. The company offers logistics solutions for a variety of industries, such as industrial commodities, automotive, general cargo, etc. The staff of Katoen Natie amounts to 10 000 people.