NORDWEST offers logistics services for companies in the industrial B2B sector
Dortmund, 20 August 2025 – The NORDWEST Handel AG group has been a partner to retailers and manufacturers in the steel, construction, trade and industrial sectors, as well as in building services, for over 100 years. As a central pillar alongside digitalisation, NORDWEST currently operates a logistics site in Giessen for its affiliated specialist retail partners. With the completion of the new building in Alsfeld, scheduled for January 2026, as one of the largest and most state-of-the-art central warehouses in the industrial B2B sector, NORDWEST is not only expanding its capacity for its growing European network of affiliated companies. It is also creating additional capacity of 68,000 square metres to offer specialized individual logistics services to dealer and manufacturer partners from the heart of Germany.
Specialist wholesalers and manufacturers that need additional logistics capacity, are implementing growth projects, want to improve their logistics performance or that want to centralise direct delivery to their customers can do so at the new, high-performance NORDWEST logistics centre. High product availability and same-day delivery are already among the success factors that help our trading partners and clients strengthen their competitive position. The new building in Alsfeld, Hesse, will take these factors to a whole new level, while meeting extremely high sustainability standards.
Designed as a multi-user warehouse
The new NORDWEST logistics centre will be multi-client capable, allowing additional partners to be brought on board for specific projects in a cost-efficient way, including delivery to the end customer with custom delivery notes throughout Germany and Europe.
NORDWEST will oversee the integration and implementation process from start to finish, from both a technical and organisational standpoint. Processes are highly customisable, and the logistics services are offered for a wide range of potential products, from highly efficient automated small parts processing to the handling of bulky goods and hazardous materials. NORDWEST's service portfolio also includes further value-added services (VAS), ranging from equipping mobile workshops and set assembly to custom order packaging.
Technical highlights at the new central warehouse
NORDWEST will use Sparck Technologies’ state-of-the-art, automated and sustainable CVP Everest packaging system in its new logistics centre, implementing the project alongside XPROMA. The system automatically creates a perfectly sized shipping box every three seconds. With the capacity to produce up to 1,200 customised packets per hour, the system sets new standards for efficiency and productivity, while reducing costs.
The automation solution that NORDWEST is implementing alongside KNAPP includes an automated small parts storage system (AKL), autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and customised workstations in goods receiving, order picking and packaging, all of which ensure efficiency and flexibility.
The new central warehouse with state-of-the-art material flow technology by the numbers
135,000 m² land area
68,000 m² warehouse space
12-metre warehouse height
20-metre high ceilings in the automated small parts storage area
170,000 storage spaces in the fully automated small parts storage area
50,000 Euro pallet spaces including hazardous substance storage and handling
Shelving system and block storage areas for VAS / small items / bulky goods
Up to 11,000 boxes and 1,000 pallets per day in goods issue
DGNB certification meeting the gold standard for sustainable construction
Major advantages of a logistics cooperation with NORDWEST
NORDWEST creates value-added logistics and space for new joint projects. The target audience includes wholesalers, specialist retailers and supplier partners who want to outsource some or all of their warehousing and related services in order to reduce the burden on their day-to-day business, make their fixed costs more variable and, at the same time, professionally organise their logistics performance for end customers. The new NORDWEST logistics centre will be one of the most modern central warehouses in Germany. Partners who make use of the logistics services can better achieve their growth targets, increase customer satisfaction and optimise their processes in a scalable, cost-efficient and digitalised manner with the help of the affiliated company. Increased storage capacity, faster, more reliable deliveries and lower costs give companies an additional edge in the market. Greater storage capacity means even higher product availability and better product diversity, which reduces bottlenecks and makes distribution more flexible – for the markets of today and tomorrow.
The new central warehouse is a key step on the path to a successful future for the group of companies – and their partners who use the customised logistics services provided there: with state-of-the-art automation technology, sustainable technologies and an infrastructure that meets the highest standards of efficiency and flexibility. To this end, the affiliated company emphasised added capacity and custom-tailored IT processes and interfaces during the planning phase so that it could store and ship its own inventories from suppliers and specialist wholesalers. Thanks to the simple and fast integration via existing interfaces with current partners, even smaller joint projects come into focus, as the implementation threshold is low and individual business expansion is straightforward.
Current construction status of the new logistics building in Alsfeld
Construction of the new NORDWEST logistics centre began in August 2024 and is progressing according to plan. The IT connection for the new building is also in full swing. The handover of the first hall areas (early access) to the trade association is planned for September 2025. At this point, the installation of automation technology from KNAPP Industry Solutions GmbH (including an automated shuttle warehouse, container conveyor technology, integrated picking and packing stations) will begin. For manual processing, NORDWEST is assuming a go-live date, with initial articles placed into storage, in March 2026. From this point onwards, the goods stocks will be gradually moved from all previous locations to Alsfeld. Shipping from there will then begin shortly thereafter, including hazardous substances. The automation technology will be installed at the same time, and will be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Full operation is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027, following completion and commissioning of the small parts storage area. The partners will then benefit fully from the many advantages of the new central warehouse.
