As part of the collaboration, Hellmann will take over the storage of finished goods for Stihl from mid-2022. In order to be able to meet Stihl's high requirements from a single location, Hellmann is renting a state-of-the-art finished goods warehouse in a strategically optimal location in Völklingen / Saarland. Completion of the new building is planned for mid-2022. On January 1, 2023, the central warehouse will be fully operational as a single-user location for Stihl. Hellmann is thus creating more than 120 new jobs in the logistics center in the border triangle, which will be further increased in line with the planned volume growth in the following years.

The Stihl Group develops, manufactures and sells motorized tools for forestry and agriculture as well as for landscape maintenance, the construction industry and private customers. The investor Dietz AG is building the new logistics center in Völklingen for Hellmann in order to be able to logistically implement the growth envisaged by Stihl - especially for battery-powered tools. In future, all Stihl sales companies worldwide as well as Stihl specialist dealers, mainly in Germany, France and the Benelux countries, will be supplied from here. The central warehouse is strategically located in the immediate vicinity of the A620 and with direct highway access to Germany and France - Stihl's most important sales markets. Logivest GmbH acted in an advisory capacity during the search for a location and plot of land as well as during the rental process.

The site is also characterized by a sustainable construction concept and state-of-the-art warehouse and picking technology, such as self-driving picking devices or smartwatches for picking. The logistics center with a total area of around 58,000 square meters also includes around 3,000 square meters of mezzanine space and 1,600 square meters of office space and can be expanded by a further 30,000 square meters of logistics space in a further construction phase in order to accommodate the planned volume growth in the long term.

"We are delighted that the Stihl Group has chosen Hellmann as a long-term logistics partner to implement its growth strategy in the European market together with us. The conclusion of a 10-year contract clearly shows how much trust Stihl places in us. Stihl and Hellmann are two family-owned companies with very similar values and I am convinced that we will grow successfully together in the coming years," says Volker Sauerborn, COO, Contract Logistics Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

Michael Schall, departmental consultant for strategic logistics projects and project manager for the new central warehouse at Stihl, is also pleased about the collaboration: "With Hellmann, we have a strong partner with many years of expertise at our side, who will support us in our continued growth in the battery business."

The investment in the new Hellmann site is also strategically important for the city of Völklingen. "The logistics park continues the revitalization of the industrial site of the former Saarlandraffinerie in addition to the successful Gewerbepark Ost and is another strong boost for the Völklingen location. With Hellmann, we are gaining a globally established logistics service provider for our region, which will sustainably strengthen the economic infrastructure and create jobs in Völklingen and the surrounding area," explains Völklingen's Lord Mayor Christiane Blatt.