Logistics operator prepares for post-Brexit opportunities

The far-reaching impact of Brexit has spread its tentacles to the warehousing sector. According to Shahar Ayash, Tigers managing director for the UK and Europe, companies with a large base in the European Union (EU) are in addition opting to secure warehouse space in the UK for post-Brexit inventory management and distribution. “It appears to make sense for companies to have a number of facilities to allow customers to be closer to markets and customers. Also, with Brexit and the need for risk management, we are seeing more opportunities and an increase in demand for space in 2020,” he said. Tigers recently announced it was building a new mega hub facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. “The development is part of an ongoing global expansion plan for Tigers, and once completed in April 2020 will become Tigers’ single biggest operation in Europe,” said Ayash. “We have had a base in Rotterdam for the past 20 years, but the new hub will feature state-of-theart facilities, an increase in space to accommodate the growing e-commerce market, and it will be strategically located just 10km from the Port of Rotterdam, making it perfect for both first- and last-mile deliveries.” This multi-million-euro development, however, has not been the only big investment for the company. In mid 2019, Tigers moved to a new hub in Thurrock, UK, to accommodate growth in preparation for Brexit. “Through our flagship cloud-based platform, SmartHub:Connect, customers can split their inventory between their UK and EU-based hubs to help them manage their stock post-Brexit,” he said, adding that in these new facilities new technologies and automation methodologies would also be applied. “We are also going through the process of identifying the right equipment to ensure we maintain a healthy balance of flexibility,” he said. According to Ayash these new facilities will allow Tigers to accommodate the increasing customer demand and the growing e-commerce market.