"The situation on the domestic market was hectic this year. Due to disrupted supply chains in the area of building materials, it was a difficult time for our main suppliers as well. The year 2022, when we celebrate 15 years on the Czech market, was nevertheless marked by a number of records and successes. We managed to create the conditions for the expansion of companies from production and logistics, to bring completely new entities to the Czech Republic and to complete projects that won a number of industry awards," says Pavel Sovička, CEO of Panattoni for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Panattoni is currently building projects with a total leasable area of more than 545,000 square meters, making it the number one construction company in the Czech Republic. In addition, the company succeeds in renting industrial real estate spaces even before completion and in many cases even before the start of construction work or building them directly to measure (BTS) according to the tenants' requirements. This is also the case with the hall in Panattoni Park Chomutov North, which will be occupied by the forklift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich, which will build its newest European production plant here. Other important companies such as Autodoc, Dachser, Shipmonk, Maersk or the company Ball, which will produce 100% recyclable beverage packaging in its automated plant in Pilsen, have already chosen and contracted the premises of other halls throughout the Czech Republic.
"The vacancy rate of industrial real estate is at the historically lowest level in the modern history of the Czech Republic. Despite the fact that we concluded a record number of new rental contracts, we are not able to completely satisfy the demand of our clients. The potential of the Czech economy thus still remains fully untapped," comments Jiří Zita, Panattoni's commercial director.
This year, Amazon's distribution center in Kojetín (pictured above) can boast the title of the largest completed and handed over building. The building with a floor plan of 52,000 square meters, which offers 187,000 square meters of leasable space on four floors, uses the most modern technologies in today's logistics. Robotic units work here, which help employees with processing orders, thereby fundamentally increasing the speed of the entire work process. In addition, the building stands out for its energy efficiency – photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof of the hall, the production of which (4 MWp) is consumed directly by the tenant. In addition, heat pumps ensure the production of heat without the need for fossil fuels. The hall in Kojetín received a number of industry awards and also scored points in the prestigious Estate Awards competition, in which it won the title of industrial project of the year 2022.
This year, Panattoni also delivered halls in Panattoni Park Ostrov, Panattoni Park Týniště, Panattoni Park Stříbro, Panattoni Park Zdice, Panattoni Park Cheb South and Panattoni Park Teplice South. "We strive for a long-term increase in the quality of the supplied halls, especially with a focus on the use of new technologies in the area of sustainability and energy saving. We are constantly looking for new approaches and options so that tenants can save as much operating costs as possible," adds Jan Andrejco, technical director of Panattoni.
The Panattoni company confirms its position as a leader in the field of sustainable development and the use of modern technologies this year as well. As the first builder of industrial real estate, all of its projects aim for the Excellent level within the framework of the BREEAM New Construction certification, which guarantees high environmental friendliness of buildings. In 2022, it received four certificates at the Excellent level for projects with a total area of 85,500 square meters, and another 15 industrial halls with a total area of over 626,000 square meters are currently undergoing the certification process. Four buildings are even aiming for the Outstanding certification level. Panattoni currently has certified buildings in the Czech Republic with a total area of over 679,000 square meters.
"Sustainability and gentle construction are among the core values of our company. That is why we focus on construction on brownfields, where we can apply ecological elements from the very beginning and at the same time maintain accessibility for our clients. Thanks to revitalizations, we can once again breathe new life into areas that have not served their original purpose for years and are a burden for municipalities and cities due to several factors. A beautiful example of successful revitalization is the logistics center in Kojetín, which was created on the site of the former sedimentation tanks of the Kojetín sugar factory, or the currently emerging industrial zone in Nýřany, which is located on the territory of former coal mines and a concrete plant," concludes Pavel Sovička.
