Industry leaders are marked out by efficient and sustainable warehouse operations

Although the development of the real estate market in the Czech Republic has been turbulent in recent years, one long-term factor has persisted: record high occupancy of logistics properties in desirable locations, accompanied by a limited supply of land for further development. 

At the same time, customer demand for space adding value beyond four walls and a roof is steadily growing. Whether it’s a new development or operations under an existing lease, they require warehouse space that can be used to its maximum potential, with an emphasis on economy and sustainability.

A range of solutions in one place

Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, recently introduced a unique service called Prologis Essentials. This centralized platform can be used by customers in logistics buildings for the convenient purchasing of warehouse equipment and advanced solutions directly from Prologis. These include handling equipment, racking systems, security features, automation elements, robots, and a wide range of other useful amenities, with installation and maintenance provided by Prologis through a proven network of partners. In a standard scenario, the customer would have to source and purchase such solutions themselves, making a significant impact on their costs and the speed of setting up their warehouse operations.

“We have been operating in the global market for 40 years, and during that time, we have gained a wealth of knowledge about our customers’ needs. We have now translated this knowledge into a practical platform. We know what logistics warehouse customers want, and the challenges they typically experience, so we’re committed to meeting their needs and enabling them to operate as efficiently as possible. In addition, the scale of our business allows us to offer very competitive pricing for the implementation of these solutions,” explains Vojtěch Štěpnička, Prologis Essentials Solutions Manager for the Czech Republic.

Energy savings are key

The Essentials Solutions range is divided into four categories: operations, energy and sustainability, electromobility, and workforce. These topics are increasingly at the forefront of customers’ minds, and the Prologis Essentials platform aims to help them optimize their businesses in these areas by innovating in a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way. 

“On the Czech market, we see that energy-efficient solutions are increasingly in-demand. We take a multi-faceted approach to this; firstly, we take full account of energy developments in the region when designing new buildings. For example, the recently completed speculative construction of two new distribution centres at Prologis Park Prague-D1 Ostředek created spaces that are completely independent of gas, and that feature high-quality LED lighting with motion sensors or heat pumps as standard. Secondly, for customers in our older buildings, we can explore and tailor solutions to increase energy efficiency in their operations through Prologis Essentials,” says Vojtěch Štěpnička. Prologis already offers customers the option of installing electric car charging infrastructure to support electromobility, while in the near future, the company intends to implement a pilot project in the Czech Republic for the construction of solar power plants in its parks.

Tailored financing

Products and services available through the Prologis Essentials platform are suitable for every type of business at any stage of operations, from those just getting to work in a new warehouse, to those looking to reconfigure or expand their premises or move to a new location, with options available to suit a wide of range of activities. As such, Prologis offers an equally wide variety of financing options: rental, operating lease, purchase, or in the case of older racking systems, buy-back. The Essentials platform is also unique in that its solutions are available to all logistics customers, regardless of whether or not they are based in a Prologis building. “Deferring investment can save costs in the short term, but we know from experience that industry leaders tend to excel in creating superior operational efficiency. The pressure to increase efficiency will gradually drive logistics real estate users to invest in automation, and the Essentials platform offers the ideal tools to benefit from these changes without incurring high upfront costs,” concludes Vojtěch Štěpnička.