Danish furniture retailer JYSK has reached a major milestone in the construction of its new distribution centre in Lelystad, near Amsterdam in the Netherlands with the first column now erected.
This marks the first visible progress of the construction of the 147,000-square-metre, highly automated facility. The new distribution centre, located close to the temporary centre at Lelystad, near Amsterdam in the Netherlands, will be a state-of-the-art facility. The first building activities began last summer, and the distribution centre will play an important part in JYSK’s strategy of continuous expansion.
On Tuesday, 5 November, the construction team held a ceremony with the placement of the first column to symbolise the start of the vertical construction. JYSK representatives placed the column together with local officials such as the mayor of Lelystad, Mieke Baltus. Over a hundred guests, including all employees from the temporary distribution centre, attended to celebrate this significant landmark.
“This is truly a milestone we have all been looking forward to. We are now seeing the first outlines of what will become our high-tech distribution centre. This is not only an important moment in construction but a great achievement for everyone involved,” says Rob Deinum, Project & Technical Manager at JYSK.
“The distribution centre here in Lelystad supports the global growth we are experiencing at JYSK. We want to continue our successful expansion at JYSK, and this ceremony marks the successes we have had so far, while also giving us the opportunity to celebrate with our dedicated employees and business partners,” says Ole Thomsen, Executive Vice President Logistics at JYSK.
The new distribution centre will feature two high-bay warehouses with a total of 166,000 pallet locations, serviced by 21 cranes, as well as 70,000 box locations in the shuttle warehouse. Additionally, the facility will have 32 inbound and 105 outbound loading docks.
JYSK aims to achieve the highest level of international sustainability certification, LEED. To reach this, the site of the distribution centre will be landscaped with plants and open water for rainwater collection. The office will have a roof garden, and the lower parts of the building will have green roofs, and solar panels will generate part of the electricity used in the facility.
From this new distribution centre, JYSK will supply stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Additionally, online orders will be shipped directly from the new facility, significantly reducing delivery times for customers.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2026, and the new centre will provide employment for more than 250 people.