World's top chocolatier opens 'largest of its kind' automated warehouse
Zurich-based confectioner Barry Callebaut Group has opened the world’s largest chocolate warehouse in the town of Lokaren, between Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium, in the form of a large box of the product.
The Barry Callebaut Group, world’s leading cocoa and chocolate manufacturer, inaugurated today 'The Barry Callebaut Chocolate Box', its new Global Distribution Center in Lokeren, Belgium.
The Chocolate Box is the world’s largest chocolate warehouse and will be the logistical hub for all packed Belgian chocolate and decorations products, produced in Barry Callebaut’s chocolate factories in Wieze and Halle, Belgium
A major operations investment totalling €100million has been made by Barry Callebaut as it inaugurates is new ‘Chocolate Box’ global distribution centre in Lokeren, Belgium, which is though to be the largest of its kind in the world, writes Neill Barston.
According to the company, its latest facilities will serve as the logistics hub for all packed Belgian chocolate and decorations products, produced within its core brand factories within the region, at Wieze and Halle.
The loading bays, from which the chocolates are sent to 140 countries.
As the business added, the Chocolate Box has stemmed from a successful partnership with real estate developer WDP and the city of Lokeren, and represents the company’s largest ever infrastructure project. It is set to increase the efficiency of Barry Callebaut’s global logistics and will allow the group to serve customers even faster.
The new warehouse is located near the E17 highway, facilitating carrier transport throughout Western Europe and with direct access to the Port of Antwerp for global shipping. Construction began in the summer of 2019.
Less than 24 months later, the building, spanning a total surface of 12 football fields, was completed. In the fully automated high bay warehouse, 41 meters high, up to 125 000 pallets can be stored at a constant temperature of 18°C. Over 120 employees, of whom 40 are in newly created positions, are securing smooth operations.
Significantly, the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Box is not only believed to be the world’s largest chocolate warehouse, but also the most sustainable. It is reportedly the first building in the Benelux with a “BREEAM Outstanding” certification, the highest standard in sustainable logistics.
The building is fully energy-positive, as it can completely fulfil its own energy consumption. In order to achieve this certificate, the newest techniques in sustainable building have been used: solar panels, air treatment groups, rain water and heat recovery, humidity control, insulation and geothermal energy. The wellbeing of the employees, an essential part of the “BREEAM Outstanding” certification, is ensured through access to natural daylight throughout the building, zones for relaxation and storage facilities for e-bikes.
Peter Boone, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group (above, centre), said: “The Chocolate Box is a milestone for Barry Callebaut. From Lokeren, all packed chocolate products – mainly under our Belgian chocolate brand Callebaut – will be shipped to the rest of the world. The Chocolate Box is an example of how we execute our smart growth strategy, increasing efficiency and serving our customers in a more sustainable way.”
The Barry Callebaut Chocolate Box, as the centre is called, covers an area the size of 12 football pitches, and stores all the chocolate and decorative products produced in Barry Callebaut’s factories in the Belgian towns of Wieze and Halle, from which they will be distributed to some 140 countries around the world.
The €100m project, which took 24 months to complete, is the result of a partnership between the chocolatier, local real estate developer Warehouses De Pauw and the city of Lokeren.
The location was chosen for its proximity to the E17 motorway, which connects the warehouse to the Port of Antwerp.
The warehouse is fully automated, and contains bays 41m in height, able to store up to 125,000 pallets at a constant temperature of 18°C. Over 120 employees, of whom 40 are in newly created positions, began work there on Wednesday.
The building is also the first in the Benelux countries to be given a BREEAM Outstanding rating for sustainability. The building supplies its own power through rooftop solar panels and geothermal energy, as well as a sophisticated air-treatment system, rain water and heat recovery, humidity control and insulation.
Employee wellbeing is promoted through access to natural daylight throughout the deep-plan building, zones for relaxation and storage facilities for e-bikes.
Peter Boone, the chief executive of the Barry Callebaut Group, commented that the Chocolate Box was an example of how the company was executing its smart growth strategy, “increasing efficiency and serving our customers in a more sustainable way”.
The group was created in 1996 through the merging of the Belgian chocolate producer Callebaut and the French rival Cacao Barry. It operates in over 30 countries worldwide and has an annual production of 2.1 million tonnes of cocoa products.
