Lodewijk van der Zanden is Purchasing Manager for the carpet division of Tarkett in Waalwijk. However, next to his daily duties he serves as the Project Manager moving the needle to complete the circular property Prologis Park Waalwijk DC3. Van der Zanden and his colleagues praise the collaboration with Prologis. "The combination of both my roles was quite tough from time to time, but that's why the collaboration with Prologis was so pleasant. The people working on the project were so dedicated."
How did the collaboration of Tarkett with Prologis come about?
"We put out a search request for a new warehouse and Prologis came out best both in terms of square meters layout and location. For example, the building was less than one and a half kilometers away from our factory in Waalwijk. Prologis also worked well with the BREEAM and WELL Standards in this particular situation. It was a good match, also financially."
What's your internal circular vision?
"When we decided to rent, we didn't know it would be a circular property. That turned out to be a big bonus. It seamlessly fitted in with what Tarkett - formerly DESSO - stands for. We are the worldwide founder of a closed loop process of carpet tiles in our industry. We also use a filler that is extracted from water purification plants and yield yarn from the fishing nets.”
How does the rental of this Prologis Park Waalwijk DC3 suit your goals?
“In terms of targets we focus on, among other things, CO2-neutral energy. That's why we have a CO2-neutral warehouse that is well insulated, economical in gas consumption and generates electricity via solar panels. Furthermore, we are one of the first in the industry to drive an electric truck between the factory and the warehouse: 24/7.”
How is Prologis as a ‘landlord’?
“Nice question. Prologis is tremendously thoughtful and warm and we notice how sincere the intentions are. Prologis has our best interests at heart in order to achieve something good together for the long term. We are very satisfied and that really means something, as we all found it a quite challenging project in the beginning. Their project management team followed through with clear coordination and communication. Even when the corona crisis broke out, everything went smoothly. It was great. We are now even investigating the possibility of equipping the offices with our Cradle -to-Cradle Gold Carpets as standard in all warehouses. That says everything about the warm bond between Tarkett and Prologis.”
How do you see the circular aspects reflected in the design of the building?
"The first thing I show people that I’m leading around is the design of the building. The imposing exterior with the gigantic mezzanine above the docks and the use of greenery which is very spectacular both on the inside and outside of the warehouse. All the space for insects, birds and even bats makes working in this warehouse much more pleasant than in any other warehouse. It’s something to be tremendously proud of.”