Hellmann Takes Over Central Warehouse for STIHL in Völklingen

The globally operating full-service provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has signed a 10-year contract with the STIHL Group, securing one of the largest orders in the company’s history. As part of the collaboration, Hellmann will take over the storage of finished goods for STIHL starting in mid-2022.

(Osnabrück/Völklingen) To meet the high demands of STIHL from a single location, Hellmann is renting a state-of-the-art finished goods warehouse in a strategically optimal location in Völklingen / Saarland. The completion of the new building is planned for mid-2022. As of January 1, 2023, the central warehouse will be fully operational as a single-user site for STIHL. This will create more than 120 new jobs in the logistics center located at the tri-border area, which are expected to increase in line with the planned volume growth in the following years.

The STIHL Group develops, manufactures, and distributes motorized equipment for forestry and agriculture, as well as for landscape maintenance, construction, and private customers. To logistically implement the growth projected by STIHL – particularly in battery-operated devices – the investor Dietz AG is constructing the new logistics center in Völklingen for Hellmann. In the future, all STIHL sales companies worldwide, as well as the STIHL specialist trade, primarily in Germany, France, and the Benelux countries, will be supplied from Völklingen. The central warehouse is strategically located in close proximity to the A620 and has direct highway connections to Germany and France – the most important sales markets for STIHL. The geographical location allows for the establishment of efficient and highly flexible supply chains, with Hellmann also benefiting from a well-connected network of express and courier services, as well as its own road and rail branch located just 40 km away in Neunkirchen. Logivest GmbH provided consulting services during the site and property search and rental process.

Sustainable Construction Concept

In addition, the location is characterized by a sustainable construction concept and state-of-the-art storage and picking technologies, such as self-driving picking devices or smartwatches in picking. The logistics center, with a total area of approximately 58,000 m², also includes around 3,000 m² of mezzanine and 1,600 m² of office space, and can be expanded in a further construction phase by an additional 30,000 m² of logistics space to accommodate the planned volume growth in the long term.

“We are very pleased 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 signing of a 10-year contract clearly shows how much trust STIHL places in us. With STIHL and Hellmann, two family-owned companies with very similar values have come together, and I am convinced that we will grow successfully together in the coming years,” said Volker Sauerborn, COO, Contract Logistics Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

Growth Course in the Battery Business

Michael Schall, departmental advisor 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 long-standing expertise by our side, supporting us in our further growth course in the battery business.”

City of Völklingen is Excited

For the city of Völklingen, the investment in the new Hellmann location is also of strategically important significance. “The logistics park continues the revitalization of the industrial site of the former Saarland refinery, complementing the successful East Business Park, and is another strong impulse for the Völklingen location. With Hellmann, we gain a globally established logistics service provider for our region, which sustainably strengthens the economic infrastructure and creates jobs in Völklingen and the surrounding area,” explains Völklingen’s mayor Christiane Blatt.

Photo: © Hellmann