Bridgestone to extend logistics centre in Zeebrugge

ERJ staff report (DS)

Brussels -- Bridgestone Europe is planning two further expansions of its large logistics centre in Zeebrugge. The centre has already been expanded twice since it opened in 1998. On completion of both new phases, and when operations are working to full capacity, the extension project will create 40 additional jobs

Phase 1 involves the construction of a 18 000 m² warehouse on 3 hectares of land with an investment of Euro 7 million.

Phase 2 will involve the construction of an additional 20 000 m² warehouse and a further investment of around Euro 7 million. Bridgestone has taken an option on an area of 3.68 hectares of land for this expansion.

Currently the centre employs 140 people and has a maximum storage capacity of 1.1 million tyres in the existing 9 hectares of warehouses.

Bridgestone said the expansions will help it to streamline distribution to dealer networks in the Benelux, Germany, France, the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. The company added that in 2007, incoming and outgoing volumes represented 32 740 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) from and to overseas and shortsea destinations, and 7200 road haulage units from and to the European network.