Pan-European logistics real specialist Verdion is significantly strengthening its commitment to the Nordics, with two senior appointments charged with increasing the business’s investment and development activity across the region.
Since 2013, the company has created a €1.5 bn European logistics portfolio comprising new build and value-add redevelopment projects across Germany, the UK, the Nordics, Benelux and the Czech Republic.
Highlights in the Nordics include specialist facilities for BMW and a pharmaceutical client of DHL as well as E20 Park Copenhagen, a €200 mln new logistics park development, which sits on the main Germany-Sweden artery south of the city.
In addition to increasing this development pipeline, Verdion said it would be deploying 'substantial capital' in support of its €300 mln Verdion European Logistics Fund 1. VELF 1 held its final close in September 2020 and is focussed on core plus and value add urban logistics assets in edge-of-town or infill locations to fulfil last-mile requirements.
Peter Michael Tetzlaff has joined Verdion as head of investment – Nordics, following several years with CBRE’s capital markets team in Copenhagen. Focussed on overseeing and growing Verdion’s investment management business across the region, his role will include identifying and acquiring investment opportunities and overseeing the execution of associated leasing and development activities for both VELF 1 and the wider Verdion business. He will join Verdion’s investment committee, alongside CEO Michael Hughes, CFO Paul Clarke, director – asset management Simon Walter, and Florian Stöbe, head of investment – Germany. The hire is based at Verdion’s new offices in Copenhagen.
Johan Nihlmark has also joined Verdion as head of business development – Nordics after an eight-year career with Prologis in Gothenburg. He will lead on all Verdion’s leasing activities in the region, including build to suit and speculative development projects, and is focussed on developing the business’s pipeline. He will be based at Verdion’s new offices in Gothenburg.
Hughes, who is the founder as well as CEO of Verdion, said: 'The Nordics presents significant opportunities for growth, with a marked disparity between consumers’ expectations and the standard and volume of logistics stock currently available – especially in the ecommerce arena. Strong occupier demand for more space is complemented by institutional investor appetite for high quality logistics assets for long-term management.
'We will be targeting a wide range of opportunities as a result – from strategic sites for longer term park development to core plus and value-add assets that can be repurposed quickly to meet market demand.
'Not only will these appointments provide an active presence in our primary targets of Denmark and Sweden, but Peter and Johan’s experience will be an enormous benefit to our business as a whole, linking into our teams in the UK and Germany to provide a broader perspective on the sector as it continues to accelerate.”
