Liu Jo’s global distribution platform consolidates in Rolo via a Logicor BTS expansion

In May of 2016, Logicor acquired a 77,000 square-metre logistics park situated in Rolo, near Carpi and Modena, a key Italian fashion industry location set in a thriving production and distribution district with good access to the A22 motorway, a direct link from northern Italy to Austria and Germany.  

At the time the Rolo Logistics Park was fully occupied but provided development land to consolidate Liu Jo’s fast growing global distribution needs into an international logistics hub.

Liu Jo were already in occupation with a 20,000 sqm warehouse in the Rolo Logistics Park and the expansion enabled the fashion industry leader to double their warehouse space and secure a modern, energy-efficient warehouse which blends seamlessly into the local urban environment.

Other occupants of the park include a multinational 3PL company and a worlwide leader company in the healthcare technonoly solutions industry. The park’s overall development potential can generate a total built area of 114,500 square metres.

Our customer’s objectives

Liu Jo was founded in 1995 by brothers Marco and Vannis Marchi in Carpi, near Modena in the northern Emilia-Romagna region, an area that represents a centre of excellence in the Italian fashion industry.

The privately owned company quickly established itself both nationally and internationally as an innovative fashion brand, reaching a turnover of nearly €400m in 2019. Today Liu Jo counts almost 800 employees and a presence in 48 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.   

In 2016, owing to the company’s rapid expansion, Liu Jo decided to establish both an international distribution hub and to launch their e-commerce logistics platform close to home, in Logicor’s Rolo Logistics Park. Carlo Del Stabile, chief operating officer at Liu Jo, says:

“Historically, we have spread our logistic operations over multiple sites, but a few years ago we realised that we needed to rationalise the business from an operational perspective, in order to monitor our production and distribution better.”

“We chose our site at Rolo because of its vicinity to both the company’s headquarters and the possibility to secure further future expansion opportunities. Once our centralisation effort is complete, all our goods will be managed under a single roof.”

Our Solution

In July 2019, Logicor and Liu Jo consolidated their partnership with a commitment to develop a 23,000 square-metre warehouse on a land site positioned directly adjacent Liu Jo’s existing facility.

Logicor undertook to achieve all necessary planning permits and successfully delivered the built-to-suit fully integrated warehouse measuring 42,258 square meters in December 2020. 

The Logicor development was completed within the established timeframe notwithstanding COVID-19 pandemic adversities which represented  significant interference from between March to May 2020.

The 23,000 square-metre expansion fetures state-of-the-art specifications including high-performance thermal insulation, energy efficient accommodations complete with LED lighting and a rooftop photovoltaic plant that generates nearly 400,000 kilowatts of energy per annum.

The Liu Jo development encouraged a redecoration of the Logistics Park with new repainting buildings that present outstandingly from the A22 Motorway together with extensive grassland areas complete with one hundred trees which allow the park to blend neatly into the surrounding environment.     

Our Customer’s Outcomes

Liu Jo are successfully implementing their new supply-chain management systems and innovative e-commerce business from the newly developed accommodation with the use of sophisticated product handling systems. The warehouse also allows Liu Jo to undertake complementary value-add activities including ironing, packaging and return logistics.

“Commitment from the numerous service providers that we work with is paramount to the partnership that we strive to establish. Logicor’s timely delivery of the expansion was testimony of such commitment and was key to the success of our consolidation project”, says Liu Jo’s Del Stabile.

Working in partnership with the Rolo local authority, Logicor introduced a new bicycle path which runs along the length of the warehouse enhancing the local bicycle lane network. Infrastructures works also included the provision of public parking areas and an improved roadways around the park.

Luca Nasi, mayor of Rolo, commented:

“Thanks to constructive dialogue established from the outset of the project and collaboration between Logicor, Liu Jo and the municipality, the parties achieved a great result that meets the needs of the local production area”.

“Over the last two decades, Rolo has become a strategic location for fashion and trade thanks to the vicinity of the A22 motorway, attributes which are readily leveraged for logistics operations. The expansion of Liu Jo’s footprint is tangible proof of such attributes, and represents a key opportunity for the growth of the fashion industry and a catalyst for the local labour market.

"I was particularly impressed by the speed of the construction undertaking, which completed in less than one year despite COVID-19 interference", added Nasi.

Speed to market and flexibility were among Logicor's key strengths that facilitated the customer's decision to pursue the expansion project. Quick decision-making by Logicor and Liu Jo, as well as the speed of execution of the building work, ensured the timely delivery of the warehouse.

The Rolo Logistics Park can accommodate further development to complement the area's fast-growing industrial production and international trade connections.

Recommended further reading

• Castel San Pietro T. Case Study

  https://logicor.eu/en/it/logistics-light-industry-versatile-space-grow