SDV Opens its “Green Hub”, the First Green Mark Platinum Warehouse in Singapore

by Press Release on 2012-12-04 00:41:16

The largest logistics centre in Asia to obtain the “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)” Gold Certification

SDV, a global supply chain leader which is a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, today announced the official opening of its new warehousing facility in Pioneer Turn. Over the past 20 years, SDV Singapore has strengthened its position by providing value-added transport and logistics solutions for its customers which are major players from the luxury retail industry to the aerospace, healthcare and oil and gas sector as well as flavour and fragrances. Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, was the Guest-of-Honour. His Excellency, Mr Olivier Caron, Ambassador of France in Singapore also attended the event.

This four-storey ramp-up new facility with nine floors of production and office space, is the first warehouse in Singapore to be Green Mark Platinum certified*. It is also the largest logistics centre in Asia to be under LEED Gold Certification**. A total of S$55 million was invested into this green warehouse which spans an area of 42,000 sqm. This project embodies the values of SAVE PROGRAM (sdv.com/saveprogram) which is SDV’s environmental customer solution to design eco-friendly solutions to reduce CO2 emissions.

Mr Herbert de Saint Simon, CEO of SDV Worldwide, said: “We are pleased that this innovative warehouse has received the highest ‘green certifications’. At the design phase we involved our core customers to define the operational needs specific to their industry, and align our CSR expectations. When we started building this facility, we made sure that the site followed stringent specifications and construction practices. The warehouse structure has been designed to be energy-efficient and waste management systems are in place to ensure that the site is sustainable”.

SDV has built an expansive network through internal growth, acquisitions and strategic alliances. It operates in five major regions globally. They are Europe, the Americas, South Asia-Middle East and Asia Pacific, while maintaining its historical position as the leader in the African continent. SDV is the major component of Bolloré’s transport, forwarding and logistics division, and is a key contributor of revenue to the Bolloré group. In 2011, transport & logistics activities contributed 57% or 4,872 million Euros to the Group’s turnover.

Mr Yves Laforgue, South East Asia Director of SDV, added: “We have seen spectacular growth from the markets in this region and particularly in the luxury retail industry. This has propelled us to be proactive in developing a new hub which will serve ‘a limited number’ of premium brands in cosmetics and luxury fashion industries with both regional distribution needs and sustainable development strategies. We strongly believe that Singapore is the ideal location to operate a Regional Distribution Centre for Asia Pacific. For the luxury retail industry, this new warehouse is integral to fulfilling our commitment to offer sustainable solutions to these clients with a 20 per cent growth over the next five to six years".

The World Bank recently ranked Singapore as the No.1 Logistics Hub amongst 155 countries globally in the 2012 Logistics Performance Index. Singapore’s strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia and at the nexus of major shipping lanes has made it an important logistics hub and conduit for world trade.

Mr Kelvin Wong, Executive Director, Logistics, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), welcomed SDV’s new investment in Singapore and noted that “The increasing presence of leading manufacturers and brand owners in Singapore presents exciting opportunities for logistics providers to innovate and further differentiate their services in Asia, for Asia. SDV’s investment in Asia’s largest LEED Gold logistics facility is timely and validates Singapore’s leadership position in developing innovative supply chain solutions”.

Every industry has its own particular logistics requirements, defined by its supply, production and distribution. SDV has developed specific expertise in a number of industries by capitalising on the experience it has gained in each sector. Through daily monitoring of markets, SDV is able to anticipate changes in its clients’ business environments and work towards more innovative value added solutions.

SDV emphasizes on “innovation” in their approach to sustainable solutions. Therefore, it has made CO2 reduction the new driver of logistics performance and this innovative and energy efficient warehouse is an integral part of fulfilling this ambitious challenge.
The key features of this green warehouse are:

Building orientation and design – This is to help on thermal insulation of the building. In addition, the building materials used such as roof panels, double-glazing or composite cladding constituted low thermal transmission.

Energy efficient – Combining innovative lighting technologies and an efficient air-conditioning plant system.
Water efficient – Optimising water usage for example, by collecting rainwater and distributing it for plant irrigation and toilet flushing.
Sustainable site and waste reduction – Recycling of packaging materials in the warehouse. Recharge stations for electric vehicles will be provided at the parking area.
Building Management System or BMS – Utilising a BMS to control, monitor, and optimise energy usage and green features of the building.
Working environment – Providing a healthy and conducive work environment for employees and customers by promoting natural lighting, planting greenery, and controlling air quality within the building.

*The BCA Green Mark Scheme was launched by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in January 2005 to achieve a sustainably built environment and promoting environmental awareness in the construction and real estate sectors.

**Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is a set of building standards for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings, homes and neighbourhoods.

About SDV
Founded in 1885, SDV is a global leader in supply chain management and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bolloré Group. It is the major component of the French conglomerate’s transport, forwarding and logistics division. SDV has grown into a network of more than 32,000 professionals in 540 offices, spread across 93 countries. With clients in diverse sectors including luxury goods, aerospace, healthcare, oil and gas and telecommunications, SDV develops customised solutions to fit each customer’s needs in a responsible and ethical manner.

About The Bolloré Group
Founded in 1822, the Bolloré Group is one of the 500 largest companies in the world. It is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange with the majority interest of the Group’s stock controlled by the Bolloré family. Contributions to the Group’s 2011 turnover from the various sectors were – transportation & logistics (57 per cent), fuel distribution (38 per cent), electricity storage and plastic films (3 per cent) and media & communication (2 per cent)