Corona increases demand for customized warehouse logistics

In the middle of the Corona crisis, a. hartrodt has invested in its own warehouse logistics in Italy: During the pandemic, Genoa added a 400-square-meter dry warehouse and a 50-square-meter space with temperatures down to minus 35 degrees Celsius, primarily for special foodstuffs. This means that the warehouse facilities close to Italy's largest container port now cover 2,500 square meters." Besides sea freight services, we also offer pure logistics activities such as warehousing and pick and pack here," explains Virgilio Gazzolo, General Manager Marketing & Sales at a. hartrodt italiana. In addition, there is a 1,500 square meter warehouse in Milan dedicated to air freight.

Strong demand due to Covid-19

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gazzolo observes a strong demand for medical apparel and PPE (personal protective equipment). It has to be "stocked and delivered on demand". On the other side of the ocean, the request for storage solutions is also increasing: "Due to Covid, Hong Kong has discovered the simplicity of online ordering," says Marco Baeckmann, Manager Sales & Development at a. hartrodt Solutions Hong Kong. Many customers now also need IT integrations with local e-commerce platforms and courier connection.

E-commerce and digitization

In Hong Kong, a. hartrodt operates out of five locations with a combined storage area of more than 5,000 square meters, each warehouse serves a different purpose. "Our main warehouse is specialized in e-commerce orders processing and can process over 2,000 online requests per day thanks to its picking, scanning and packing stations," explains Baeckmann. He sees a. hartrodt's strength in "understanding in details the needs of each company and tailoring our service to meet them individually." The sector is also booming in Australia: Dirk Haarhaus, Regional Director Oceania at a. hartrodt in Milperra (Sydney), reports good demand from medium-sized companies for pick and pack and 3PL solutions. Digitization and automation are becoming increasingly important "in order to be able to offer cost-effective services and smooth supply chain services."

Haarhaus is planning "a larger warehouse in Brisbane in the medium term" and wants to expand the 7,000 square meters in Milperra. Worldwide, a. hartrodt has more than 55,000 square meters at 19 locations. In Hong Kong, Baeckmann wants to expand the offering with a frozen warehouse near the port, and he expects some new development with the dry warehouse "by the end of the second half of 2021."