Decathlon brings distribution center & 400-500 jobs to Tilburg

Last night Tilburg-Waalwijk was named Logistics Hotspot of the year, today Tilburg gets a nice confirmation within this theme. Sports chain Decathlon establishes its Dutch distribution centre in Tilburg. This will be placed on the former Charlotte Oord site in Tilburg. "We expect to employ 400 to 500 people in the long run."

The French sports chain Decathlon is almost complete about the construction of a high quality and sustainable 'omni-warehouse' on Kraaiven. This will both supply the Dutch stores - 20 by the end of this year - and handle all internet sales.

Initially, the company had its sights set on the newly planned Zwaluwenbunders business park, on the north side of the city, but the municipality has put this development 'on hold'. Decathlon now has an agreement in principle with HVBM Vastgoed about the former location of Charlotte Oord. On this corner of the Dongenseweg and the Swaardvenstraat, the Draaimolen Festival took place until last year. Breeding into existing industrial sites instead of building in the polder", says HVBM director Adriaan Molenschot.

Basis: employees are vital and sporty

The distribution centre will be built in phases of 30,000 and 10,000 square metres. There will be 1500 to 2000 square meters of office space and a large parking area. We will start with a hundred employees, but we will commit ourselves to Tilburg for many years to come," says Rohan Uijlings, director of real estate at Decathlon. We expect to need between 400 and 500 people in the long run.  

Decathlon initially aims at the available labour potential. That has been an important reason for choosing Tilburg," says Uijlings: We like to welcome students, they can grow. But there is also room for elderly people who have a few hours left over." The company pays a lot of attention to work atmosphere and environment. The basis is that employees are vital and sporty and enjoy working.

Scarcity also offers new opportunities

The fact that Zwaluwenbunders has been put 'in the fridge' as a development location does not detract from Tilburg's ambition as a logistics hotspot, says the spokesman for alderman Berend de Vries (D66, Economic Affairs). It is annoying to have to sell 'no' to interested parties, but we are discussing alternative options with a number of them. Wijkevoort will be available for a specific category. At the same time, the scarcity of space also offers opportunities: interest is growing in locations that were more difficult in the past'. 

HVBM Vastgoed has also recently purchased such a redevelopment site on Kraaiven: the 4.4 hectare site where until recently the Cooymans distillery was located. Windmill shot: This location will be delivered in mid-2020 for rent to an end user.

(Source: Brabants Dagblad).