OPTIMA packaging group GmbH, Germany, opened the doors to a new logistics center, situated in the Solpark industrial park in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.

The EUR 20 million Optima Logistics Center was built on a former military site, was completed in just 10 months and is one of Optima’s largest projects in the history of the company.

“Ultimately, we chose this location because the Solpark offers the best expansion opportunities, and we wanted to avoid having two large facilities,” says Hans Bühler, managing director of the Optima Group. “The current development at Optima Pharma has proven that this is the right path—the expansion opportunities there are already being put to use with the new assembly hall.”

Architect Rolf Blank was on site as a representative of the planning and design team. He outlined the

The 6,000-square-meter space entails an office wing for 150 employees, and is heated and cooled with a concrete alternative—similar to underfloor heating—to enforce pleasant temperatures year-round.

“It was important to have daylight enter the space, therefore the large window was installed in the facade, and skylights also provide a great deal of natural light,” says Rolf Blank, architect.

“It was especially important that we involved all of our employees in the project. For example, in the early stages, we sent out a questionnaire asking which criteria were important to the employees and what aspects should be given special attention in the course of constructing the new building. The project team under Andreas Ketteman provided professional management for the move and the go-live. In addition, there were many experts at Optima who provided background assistance for the new focus of materials management with their technical knowledge, especially the Optima IT department,” adds Heiko Funk, managing director of OPTIMA materials management GmbH.