European logistics property specialist Verdion has acquired its first asset in the Netherlands as part of a €300 mln investment programme focused on last-mile opportunities in Northern Europe.
The company has acquired a 24,000 m2 warehouse in Roosendaal on the Dutch-Belgian border for €17 mln in an off-market deal.
Strategically located between Rotterdam and Antwerp, the building comprises 18,000 m2 let to logistics company Imperial Group, together with further space for occupation and an adjacent land plot with permission for a further 10,000 m2 of new-build warehouse space.
Simon Walter, director of asset management at Verdion, said: 'Alongside our built-to-suit and logistics park activity, last-mile logistics is an important investment focus for Verdion. Online retail has never been more important, and this trend is set to continue for the long term.'
The deal follows Verdion’s first investment in the Czech Republic, with the completion of a €17 mln forward funding of a major project for UPS in Prague, consolidating three of the company’s fulfilment centres to create a 13,600 m2 national HQ and logistics hub on land adjacent to the City Airport.
Other acquisitions include a 21,000 m2 property in Gallin, east of Hamburg, with 10,500 m2 let to DB Schenker on a 5-year lease with the remainder let to the same business shorter term.
Also in Germany, Verdion has acquired a 10,000 m2 logistics building in the Lower Rhine region town of Nettetal under a three-year sale-and-leaseback deal with French logistics firm Egetra.
'These investments, around €70 mln in total so far, demonstrate our commitment to this market sector. We are particularly pleased to complete our first deal in the Netherlands: a key target alongside Germany and the Nordics. We will be deploying further capital in the coming months – investing where we can best leverage our development expertise and focus on technical innovation,' concluded Walter.
