As part of its strategic global investment plan, Reynaers Aluminium is expanding   its warehouses storage capacity by 20,000 sq m and building a new head office on the site in Duffel, in the Belgian province of Antwerp.

The move is being made in a bid to help the European company to capitalise on further growth opportunities with its leading architectural aluminium systems on both the domestic and foreign markets.

Commenting on the expansion, Martine Reynaers, CEO of Reynaers Aluminium, says: “The new warehouses are to support the continued growth in our product range and turnover and will provide additional storage capacity for all existing markets. Not only is the logistical area now greater, the office area is also being extended with a prestigious new building designed by Jaspers-Eyers Architects.” 

“This expansion has a direct link with the Bahrain operations as a larger warehouse set-up will help our local operations in terms of better execution of orders placed for our customers – mainly accessories,” says Ali Khalaf, managing director of Bahrain-based Reynaers Middle East, the regional office of the Belgian aluminium systems provider.

“The logistical part of this expansion will also add value to our customers with better order processing and tracking,” he adds.

The expansion and renovation of the head office and warehouses in Duffel will cost Reynaers over €25 million ($27.7 million).

“This is all part of an international investment plan of €50 million. With this plan, Reynaers is supporting its strategic ambition, to build its current turnover from €360 million ($399 million) (in 2015) to a level of €500 million ($554 million) by 2020,” says a company spokesman.

The Aluroller SF.

Optimisation

Previously, the warehouses covered an area of almost 50,000 sq m. The additional 20,000 sq m allows various orders to be collected simultaneously and to be dispatched more quickly. Of this new storage, 12,000 sq m is to be set aside for the storage of accessories and components, including hinges, locks, gaskets and fixing materials, and the remaining 8,000 sq m will serve as additional storage space for aluminium profiles.

The new buildings meet the latest fire regulations and required insulation levels, guaranteeing optimum safety and limiting energy consumption. Their large skylights and windows create a pleasant working environment. The work zones are fitted with domes that boost normal daylight levels using a system of mirrors. In this way, natural light is optimised without having to use more electricity.

“Now that the new warehouses are in use, the old warehouse can be demolished. The building, which is the oldest one on the Duffel site, is to make way for a new 6,000-sq-m building, extending the insulation department Erap, which recently installed a second state-of-the-art Aluroller SF to thermally insulate aluminium profiles more efficiently,” says the spokesman.

The new building also makes more space for the current Reynaers Institute, the company’s testing, training and automation centre. This new testing centre will contain a unique installation featuring a 15-m-high, state-of-the-art testing wall used for façade systems, where air, wind and water simulations can be executed on entire construction. Extra testing walls for window and door systems are to be added, as well as a new stand for cyclical and mechanical tests, he adds.

“Reynaers Middle East utilises the facilities at the headquarters to test some of the bespoke solutions offered to its clients. A more sophisticated test centre will ensure our client’s queries and concerns about the technical performances of the aluminium systems chosen for their projects are addressed completely and the requirements of the third-party testing authorities are fully met,” Khalaf points out.

The Reynaers Institute is also home to the ‘R-Lab’, a special laboratory for research and development (R&D) projects, where solutions are tested at an early stage by using rapid prototyping and 3D printing. 

Green focus

The green space around the new building is to be redesigned and extended. “This extra greenery at the Reynaers site in Duffel should allow modified and sustainable water management,” says the spokesman. 

The design gives plenty of focus on creating green buffers, improving the view for local residents. There is also to be a ring road around the site, a new waste recycling area and improved parking facilities.

“This extension and renovation of the Duffel site reinforces our roots in Belgium, from which we shall continue to develop our local and international growth in a sustainable manner. In this way, we are actively investing in our operations and employment opportunities in Duffel, and in our position on the international market. Indeed, we are confident in our global growth potential, and in the future and success of our aluminium solutions,” concludes Reynaers.