Alpha Industrial – investor, project developer, owner and asset manager of logistics and industrial real estate – has signed a long-term lease contract with B+S GmbH Logistik und Dienstleistungen for an approx. 22,000 sqm modern logistics space for secondary product processing.

Schoeller Allibert, leader in returnable transit packaging (RTP) since 1959, has announced a new partnership with Hatteland, inventor of the AutoStore cubical automated warehouse system. “Our team is very proud to be working with Hatteland towards a more efficient and sustainable future in logistics,” said Ludo Gielen, Schoeller Allibert’s Chief Innovation Officer. “What we have designed fits perfectly with AutoStore’s innovative system, and handles the heavy workload without any issues. And our two companies are a perfect fit, too: two innovators with a savoir-faire between them, working in unison to find the best possible solutions for our common client’s needs.”

In support of European Supply Chain Day (today 21st April) – which Kevin Richardson, Chief Executive of the CILT, expects to be the biggest and best event yet – Goplasticpallets.com has created an infographic to educate logistics professionals about the significant cost savings they can achieve by switching from using one-trip packaging to returnable transit packaging.

Union Industries, manufacturer of industrial rapid roll doors, has helped specialist cooked chicken manufacturer Benson Park with its recent chill store extension, which includes new state of the art cooking processes. Benson Park was recently acquired by the well-known Cranswick Group and the project at the Hull site is its first venture in to the cooked chicken sector. The new extension has increased capacity by 30% due to quicker stock intake and has also created new jobs. Capacity has also been increased with a new cooking process, which is far more efficient and incorporates new cooking techniques.

ACE Exports Ltd, a UK company that has been supplying a range of personal care, grocery and household products to retailers throughout the Caribbean Islands for over 25 years, has outsourced its supply chain process to Midlands-based DK Fufilment Ltd (DKF).

Legal & General Property (“LGP”), on behalf of its Life Fund, has begun a £25 million speculative warehouse development at Barclay Way, West Thurrock, south-east of London, in partnership with Graftongate Developments, who will deliver the scheme. Construction is under way and completion is set for November 2016.

Militzer & Münch had inaugurated a new customs terminal in Tangier, Morocco. With the 10,000 square metre facility, Militzer & Münch is aiming to meet the rising demand for logistics services in the region. Tangier is regarded as a hub between Europe and Africa; the port city has turned into an investment location owing to growing trade between the continents.

Since the launch of model series T20/T25 SP in 2004, Linde Material Handling has sold over 33,000 such pallet trucks worldwide. Linde says that this makes them the clear market leader in the platform pallet truck segment in Europe and also sets a benchmark in the field of intralogistics. Linde will be presenting a number of new, customer-oriented optional features for these successful models at its World of Material Handling (WoMH) 2016 customer event.

For many businesses, operating an open stores policy is deemed to be the best way of ensuring staff have the required equipment to do their job. However, when using manual counting and logging processes, it is incredibly difficult to manage how many pairs of gloves, boots or hi-vis jackets have been issued, whether they are fit for purpose and equally whether they suitably fit the individual wearing them.

Ecocem Ireland has upped its export capacity with the launch of its first UK-based bulk import terminal along the Manchester Ship Canal. The terminal which represents a £2million investment has been developed in partnership with Peel Ports, to help Ireland’s premier manufacturer of high performance, low carbon cement capitalise on the booming UK construction market.