JYSK installs first column of new distribution centre in the Netherlands
The placement of the first column in the construction of the new distribution centre in Lelystad, near Amsterdam in the Netherlands, marked a particularly important day for JYSK and its logistics team.
The event, held on 5 November 2024, gathered over a hundred people, including employees from the temporary distribution centre, JYSK representatives, business partners, and media, all wanting to witness the placement of the first column at the new facility, scheduled to be finished in 2026.
From a tent at the construction site, all attendees could witness a select group of contributors help put the first column of the construction in place. Among those at the site was Rob Deinum, Project Manager at JYSK and key local figure for the new distribution centre. Rob sees the ceremony in Lelystad as a landmark in the construction phase:
“This is truly a milestone we have all been looking forward to. We are now seeing the first outlines of what will become our high-tech distribution centre. This is not only an important moment in construction but a great achievement for everyone involved,” he says.
Support from local figures
Also attending the celebration were local figures such as the Mayor of Lelystad, Mieke Baltus, and the Deputy Mayor, Dennis A. Grimbergen. The Deputy Mayor’s speech at the event articulated the growth that the new distribution centre could potentially bring to the local community in Lelystad. The new distribution centre is expected to employ upwards of 250 people.
Other speakers at the event included Bas Verbunt, Director of Projects at Willy Naessens Netherlands, the main contractor of the project, and one of the JYSK representatives, Ole Thomsen, Executive Vice President Logistics at JYSK.
“This milestone is a really good way of meeting the partners on our project here in Lelystad. It shows that JYSK just keeps growing, while we can support the local areas by creating jobs. Combining that into a celebration like today, where we get to come out and meet our dedicated employees and collaborators, is something very special,” says Ole.
An international collaboration
The project has been underway for more than three years, since the first work started on the lot. Since then, external factors, like the war in Ukraine, have complicated the construction process. Therefore, the ceremony took on a special meaning to Senior Project Manager Georgi Popchev and his local right-hand man, Rob Deinum.
The construction is a huge undertaking, and Georgi, who is from Bulgaria and visits the site regularly, underlines the complexities of such an operation. With suppliers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Romania, and Hungary, the project is an international collaboration that requires a good local team to keep everything working well.
“Without attention and happy employees, the centre would not function. Construction and exposure like this go hand in hand. There is a shared goal at the end for all of us: To get as great a distribution centre as possible with employees who are happy to work for JYSK,” says Georgi.
