On 22 March 2021, the trendsetting shoe manufacturer Crocs Europe moved into their new distribution centre at DistriPark Dordrecht. The project was completed by Hercuton, Over Engh and WDP Netherlands, delivering up to 50,000 m2 of warehouse space to support the US brand’s online and offline expansion on the European market. This is great news not only for the company itself, but for several hundred newly employed people in the area as well.
The company will be using the distribution centre – comprised of two large halls and four separate units – to store web-shop products, supply high-street shops, and handle return shipments.
A win-win in every way
“Crocs is a fast-growing company, in need of more space and improved facilities for our workers. This warehouse provides us with everything we need, while also allowing us to attract new talent from the surrounding area”, says Dennis Boor, Crocs’ EMEA Senior Director of Distribution & Logistics. “We started the process with M2 Real Estate, and subsequently came into contact with Over Engh Vastgoed and Hercuton. Even though it was challenging at times, we successfully completed a wonderful project together.”
A long-standing productive relationship
After Over Engh Vastgoed and Hercuton completed the project, it was acquired by WDP Netherlands. The cooperation between these partners goes back many years and many projects, making for a smooth project execution, in full confidence.
Ivo van der Mark, CEO of Janssens de Jong Group (of which Hercuton is a subsidiary), was unequivocal: “Our long-standing relationship contributed to achieving a smooth development process from the start. The city of Dordrecht was also instrumental in making this happen, with a proactive approach to the project.”
A unique (and meticulous) way of working
Hercuton completed the 50,000 m2 project swiftly: starting on 3 June 2020, it was delivered turnkey by March 2021. The building method that was used, with prefab concrete, is what made such strict planning possible – the planning was fully met, down to the very day. As the distribution centre is subject to external quality assurance, this project demonstrated that Hercuton is already compliant with the Construction Quality Assurance law coming into effect on 1 January 2022. This way of working proved to afford a better, higher-quality end-product.
Creating jobs in the region
It’s not just Crocs reaping the benefits: the city of Dordrecht will enjoy an additional 2,800 jobs from the DistriPark Dordrecht development, supporting the city’s ambition to create 4,000 additional jobs. The Crocs warehouse will account for 250 to 350 new jobs created.
Having the new Crocs warehouse in his city fills alderman Maarten Burggraaf with pride and joy: “This is an important milestone for our communities. Having an international household name like Crocs boost employment opportunities is great for our region.”
www.wdp.nl
www.hercuton.nl
www.overeng.com
www.m2realestate.nl
www.crocs.eu
