Brexit
What’s the Brexit status?
In the nick of time the UK concluded a deal with the EU. As many details are still unclear, please contact us if you require insights or explanation. We submit each case to our in-house customs- and fiscal experts. This way we can assist you in finding the most optimal transport and/or storage solution.
How can we help you?
All our warehouses in Belgium are bonded warehouses, which are in custom approved zones. Objects can be stored in transit and are not subject to import duties and/or VAT. The other way around, in these warehouses we can also store objects with a free circulation status (VAT paid) and they keep their free circulation status in the EU.
Katoen Natie has a unique position. Only at Katoen Natie are you allowed to remove art objects from these warehouses (e.g. for an exhibition or trade fair) while the objects remain bonded.
This means that the objects can travel throughout the EU free from import duties and/or VAT, to exhibitions and fairs, without any additional administration, guarantees or costs applying. The administration and cost structure surrounding the movement of your art are simplified/reduced to a minimum.
The simplicity of our set-up is explained in the graphic below:
Why store at Katoen Natie?
When you store your art collection in our depots, you can be sure that your objects can still easily travel the EU. This applies to both objects subjected to customs and objects which have the EU’s free circulation status, while saving you unnecessary costs and headaches.
Furthermore, we store your objects in world class facilities. We offer more than +250.000 sqft of art storage, which is:
- Hypersecure (INCERT3)
- Ecological (powered by wind mills & solar panels)
- Discrete and anonymous
- Climatized (ranging from ASHRAE AA+ to ASHRAE AA)
- ISO9001-2015 certified
- Inspected by all major Insurance players
- Competitively priced
- Situated in the heart of EU, close to major airport/seaport/transport hubs
- Private vaults or grouped storage
- Supported by an in house developed collection management system
Katoen Natie is a one-stop-shop, offering all services expected from a professional art logistics player, including art collection management, fine art transport, viewing/sales rooms, condition checks, photography, expo rooms, packaging, installation, courier services, …
Want to know more?
Get in touch with us to discuss your questions about Brexit, art transport or art storage. We already work with company collections, artists estates, museums, international collectors & galleries, foundations, … so chances are we can answer your particular questions with answers stemming from experience.
Please contact us at: ktn.art@katoennatie.com
Katoen Natie and Intergamma Unveil Innovative AutoStore Solution
Partnership between Katoen Natie and Intergamma leads to a new storage and picking system with round the clock robots.
Katoen Natie and Intergamma are now utilizing AutoStore, the world’s fastest and most reliable order processing system per square meter, for e-commerce order deliveries to Intergamma’s customers.
This cube-shaped automated system, comprising approximately 900 m³ and equipped with 20 robots, has been in operation since the end of September 2023 at Katoen Natie’s logistics platform in Kallo, which is the largest “multi-customer” logistics platform in Europe. The installation and implementation are part of a joint future project between Katoen Natie and Intergamma, following the recent extension of their successful 10-year partnership by an additional 5 years. For Intergamma, the Benelux leader in the DIY market and currently in a strong growth phase, this means that all its e-commerce products can reach private consumers even faster and more efficiently. “For Katoen Natie, the expertise built with AutoStore is an additional incentive to attract new customers to our logistics platforms with innovative solutions,” says Fernand Huts, Chairman of Katoen Natie.
Katoen Natie is implementing this goods-to-man automated storage and picking system for the first time at its Kallo logistics platform. This implementation is part of the shared desire of Katoen Natie and Intergamma to ensure they can continue to work together in a future-proof manner. Katoen Natie Engineering Solutions, Katoen Natie’s in-house research department, is closely monitoring the process and operations, and is also exploring the opportunity to invest in additional AutoStore installations on other logistics platforms.
Intergamma in a Growth Phase
In the Benelux, Intergamma is the market leader in the DIY industry with three brands: GAMMA Netherlands, GAMMA Belgium, and Karwei, which together operate 384 stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. “Ongoing developments in Intergamma’s online channels have led to increased volumes,” says Joost De Beijer, CEO of Intergamma. “The new investment in AutoStore in collaboration with Katoen Natie aligns perfectly with our strategy, in which e-commerce will continue to be crucial in the future while we simultaneously make our supply chain more sustainable. We aim to evolve into a ‘one-stop shop,’ where consumers can turn to GAMMA and Karwei to address their entire DIY project in one go and have their supplies delivered or picked up wherever they prefer.” Intergamma expects that the investment will ultimately lead to increased capacity, flexibility, better reliability, and lower costs.
How Does AutoStore Work?
Bins with inventory are stacked 16 levels high next to and on top of each other within the grid. The grid is the customized aluminum rail system surrounding the bins and robots. Autonomous robots travel on top of the grid and continuously collaborate to retrieve stock for orders from the grid. They do this by lifting bins from the grid and rearranging them until they have the correct one. This bin is then presented at one of the 3 picking stations. The picker retrieves the goods from the bin and processes the order. The bin is returned to the grid. The algorithm ensures that stock for orders is always retrieved in the most efficient manner. This automation has no impact on existing jobs, as the pickers can now accomplish more with the same team. Additionally, it reduces picking errors, ensures continuous inventory management, optimal availability, and no single point of failure.
Round the clock robots
Customers can place orders online until 9:00 PM, and Katoen Natie hands over the packages to the carrier by 11:00 PM, ensuring that the packages are delivered to the customer’s doorstep the next day. While Katoen Natie sleeps at night, the robots keep working. During the night, they ensure that the fast-moving products of Intergamma are always located in the top “drawers” of the grid and are thus picked up the fastest. All e-commerce orders for Intergamma are transmitted directly to AutoStore through the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) electronic data exchange system. AutoStore is also connected to Katoen Natie’s existing packing automation. As a result, each box is automatically sealed after picking and is not touched until it is loaded.
Since September 25, a significant portion of Intergamma’s products has been picked by AutoStore robots at Katoen Natie. However, starting from the end of October, the planned stock of Intergamma will also be stored in AutoStore. This will include more than 21,000 items distributed across 31,000 bins, with 6,528 of them subdivided into 4 compartments, bringing the total to 50,584 locations with stock.
Our Autostore in action on YouTube: Click Here
Katoen Natie announces major investments in the Netherlands
Chemelot
Covering an area of over 800 hectares, the Chemelot site is one of the major chemical hubs in Europe and has been expanding in recent years. The integrated cluster of companies produces a variety of chemicals and performance plastics for a wide range of markets and applications. Chemelot also hosts a research campus, with over 8,000 people working on-site.
Katoen Natie investments
Since 2013, Katoen Natie has acquired a number of logistics terminals in Limburg. Its sites in Nuth, Born, Geleen, Elsloo, Tüddern and Maasmechelen currently employ 250 people. With the expansion, Katoen Natie will anchor its strategic presence in the region.
Central to the investment is a 12 hectare green field project on the Chemelot site. Here, Katoen Natie will build a brand new multi-customer terminal consisting of 54,500 m² state-of-the-art warehouse and 207 silos. Aside from warehousing operations, Katoen Natie will offer a full range value-added services including repackaging of chemicals, purifying of contaminated products, compounding and compacting services. The Chemelot terminal is expected to be operational in Q2, 2020.
In addition to the investments on-site, Katoen Natie will expand its Nuth logistics terminal with 10,000 m² of warehouse space and 60 silos expected to be operational by the end of 2019. Another plot of land was acquired at Mitsubishi Avenue in Born, where Katoen Natie will construct and operate a 35,000m² warehouse to service the automotive industry.
Investments in the local transport capacity will continue over the next year. With the purchase of 115 new lorries, 45 dry bulk trailers and 10 liquid bulk trailers the existing fleet will be renewed and expanded.
Gateway to Central and Eastern Europe
Aside from their proximity to Chemelot, the Katoen Natie terminals in Limburg are located just a few kilometers from the Belgian and German border. This strategic location, close to the ports of Antwerp
and Rotterdam and with easy rail and water access, make them an ideal stepping-stone for import flows into the Ruhr area and Eastern Europe.
With this expansion, Katoen Natie affirms its position as the leading logistics and industrial services provider for the chemical industry in Europe. The implantation of its logistics platform on the Chemelot site will produce significant transport savings for Katoen Natie’s existing customers and reduce overall CO₂-emissions. In total, the 100,000 m² of added warehouse capacity and value-added logistics operations will create 75 new full time jobs in the region.
Katoen Natie
Katoen Natie is a private Flemish enterprise and its activities consist of value add logistical services with activities in 30 countries and more than 13.000 employees.
For more about Katoen Natie go to https://www.katoennatie.com/who-we-are/
Cube Storage Autostore
Chez Katoen Natie, nous comprenons les défis posés par les opérations de stockage modernes et nous nous engageons à fournir des solutions qui optimisent le stockage et augmentent l’efficacité. C’est pourquoi nous sommes fiers de présenter nos systèmes Autostore de stockage en cube.
Quelques avantages:
Gain de place: Nos systèmes Autostore maximisent l’espace de stockage, réduisant ainsi le besoin de surface supplémentaire.
Rapide: Grâce à des algorithmes de recherche avancés, nos systèmes peuvent prélever et transporter des articles plus rapidement que le travail manuel.
Fiable: Nos systèmes Autostore sont conçus pour fonctionner 24 heures sur 24 et 7 jours sur 7, ce qui permet une gestion cohérente et précise des stocks.
Évolutifs: Que vous ayez besoin de stocker quelques articles ou des millions, nos systèmes peuvent être facilement adaptés à vos besoins.