The flagship project at the long-standing site of KION’s subsidiary Linde MH in Kahl is now moving on to the next exciting stage. The topping-out ceremony marks the official completion of the structural work. The facility will soon be home to state-of-the-art technologies that are highly automated, digitalized and intelligently networked.
2024-04-10
With an investment volume of around 60 million euros, the future Regional Distribution Center provides an important economic boost for the municipality of Kahl and the entire region. The highly automated distribution center will be able to deliver spare parts from the KION brands Linde MH and Dematic quickly and reliably to customers in Germany and various neighboring countries. After completion, which is planned for the beginning of 2025, the technical equipment of the halls will be a pioneering example of integrated solutions from the two KION segments Industrial Trucks & Services and Supply Chain Solutions. Among other things, conveyors for small and large parts from Dematic and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) from Linde MH will be integrated into the material flow. The project will also benefit local residents, who can count on the KION Group as a reliable employer and partner. The conversion of the old site will create a state-of-the-art, sustainable building that fully meets future requirements in terms of social, economic and ecological standards.
"We want to lead this project to success on an equal footing, with openness and on the basis of the existing long-standing, shared tradition." Markus Kellermann, Project Manager.
The development is also a flagship project for the KION Group and has been well received by visiting international customers. The demolition of the old halls, and the constructions of the new building with state-of-the-art architecture and technology are contributing to the upgrading of the site and the surrounding area. In addition, the existing site has been optimally utilized without the need to build on new land. As part of the construction project, offsetting measures to protect biodiversity and nature are also being implemented.
For example, the height of the high rack warehouse was kept to 30 meters instead of the possible 40 meters. Bird towers and nesting boxes were installed, too, and an area of sand and rough grassland covering over 1,000 square meters was created to provide a habitat for grasshoppers and butterflies.
“We want to make this project a success by working as equals, with a spirit of transparency and by building on our long-standing shared tradition,” explains Markus Kellermann, Head of RDC Kahl. This also includes engaging in dialog with the many local families in Kahl, some of whom have been an integral part of the Linde Material Handling community for generations.
The company is ideally located on the edge of the Spessart mountain range in the Rhine-Main region, an internationally important economic area.
This development into a flagship spare parts warehouse also involves use of state-of-the-art technology from the KION Group. In the future, a conveyor system for small and large parts, a multi-shuttle system, and high-rack storage and retrieval equipment will operate here in a networked and automated system. Together, they will ensure maximum efficiency in the processes.
