"This year, the Modletice warehouse is celebrating 20 years since the start of its operation, so it received a beautiful birthday present in the form of a new fruit and vegetable warehouse. The entire complex has undergone a significant change, which concerns not only greater capacity, but also, for example, more efficient use of the existing area of the complex in favor of accelerating goods flows in / out, "says Juraj Bendík, head of logistics at Kaufland CR.
The construction of the new warehouse was preceded by several stages that the company had to implement in order to make efficient use of the entire logistics complex. Construction began in October 2020 with a new central gatehouse building with an adjoining extended truck parking lot. The gatehouse was opened in May 2021 and not only gave the complex the hallmark of a modern logistics center, but above all brought greater comfort to employees and truck drivers who go to the complex daily with deliveries of goods or supply department stores.
The next step was the modernization of the wastewater treatment plant. It has increased its original capacity, but above all it relies 100% on ecological cleaning, which is based on the action of biological microorganisms and bacteria. The modernization was completed in November 2021. With this step, the area was ready for the most fundamental transformation: the construction of a new fruit and vegetable warehouse. In its final form, it tripled its existing storage capacity to 15,000 square meters.
The new building has the latest technologies to ensure the lowest possible energy requirements. These include smart control of lighting, cooling and smart control of other installed technologies depending on their current level of use. The building has been designed from the beginning so that automation for the assembly of goods can be installed in it in the near future, which is an absolute technological rarity in the field of fruit and vegetable assortment.
The main motivation for the expansion of the complex was not only to ensure sufficient storage capacity for the progressive expansion that Kaufland has experienced in the Czech Republic in recent years, but also the practicality and comfort of its employees. Simultaneously with the modern fruit and vegetable warehouse, a new multi-level parking house for passenger cars was built. There is a charging station for electric cars and e-bikes or a smart system for entry and exit to and from the parking house based on the principle of reading the license plate of the car.
By the end of 2022, the expansion of the fresh food warehouse is also planned. This step will end the path of transformation of the complex with a total investment approaching 1.2 billion crowns.
The Kaufland distribution center in Olomouc with a new extension, which was finalized at the end of last year, also belongs to the advanced logistics operations. The so-called Hochregal (HRL) automatic pallet storage with a capacity of 23,500 pallet places has been built here, and the construction of a hall with an integrated AKL automatic storage system for the distribution of a slow-moving assortment with a capacity of up to 10,000 pallets is entering its final phase.
