Arrow Electronics' Distribution Center in Venlo Drives Efficiency, Sustainability, and Employee Well-Being
VENLO, The Netherlands, November 21, 2022 / 3BL Media/ — Arrow Electronics designed its state-of-the-art Primary Distribution Center in Venlo (The Netherlands) to drive efficiency, sustainability, and employee well-being.
Seated along the Dutch-German border, near the convergence of a network of seaports, airports and ground transportation, the Venlo district is one of Europe’s most important logistics hubs.
“Venlo is one of the world’s most advanced warehouses. Its sustainable design reflects our commitment to waste reduction and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Chuck Kostalnick, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer at Arrow.
Spanning 90,000 square meters – roughly the size of 10 soccer fields – the new PDC was constructed with sustainable building materials, smart lighting, rainwater harvesting and solar panels that generate enough electricity to power 1,900 homes.
Environmentally conscientious features include:
- Solar panels generate 7 megawatt hours of green electricity per year to power 1.900 homes
- 30 highly efficient heat pumps for heating and cooling
- Toilets flushed using rainwater
- Motion detectors that control both lighting and the conveyor system
- Insect shelters to support native honeybees and other wild pollinators depleted by habitat loss and competition with non-native species
The Venlo PDC also is designed to reduce packaging waste – a priority in a facility that features 78 truck loading docks. The packing material that is used is made with 100% paper, eliminating plastic materials.
Venlo’s automatic carton-forming machine constantly feeds the packing stations with ready-made standard-sized cartons, which has reduced carton diversity from 15 to 4 to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Cartons are gauged and adjusted by machine based on the maximum height of the product before being folded automatically and sealed with glue. This eliminates plastic tape, creates a tightly fitting carton that is stronger and better sealed, and reduces the amount of packing material needed.
This also allows for more boxes per pallet, which reduces the number of truck deliveries as well as the amount of packaging waste that customers handle after they receive their shipments.
The building is certified “Green” with BREEAM accreditation through the Dutch Green Building Council. The PDC has also achieved the WELL Building Gold Standard through the International WELL Building Institute.
Arrow’s Venlo PDC opened in July. Results of its efficient performance and Arrow’s sustainability commitment in the technology supply chain will be featured in the company’s annual ESG report.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for over 220,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2021 sales of $34 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at fiveyearsout.com.
