DIA Group undertakes its largest logistics operation of the year in order to build a warehouse in Illescas, Toledo

Together with various stakeholders, DIA Group has reached an agreement to build a logistics platform in Illescas, Toledo. The facilities will boast a total surface area that spans 127,000 m², including a 68,000 m² warehouse. With an investment of around €50 million, the platform will constitute DIA’s largest premises in Spain, supplying around 500 shops located throughout the Community of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.

This initiative, which is expected to run for at least 15 years, is launched in collaboration with Aquila Capital, landowner and head of the warehouse construction project in line with DIA specifications; the real estate specialists Cushman & Wakefield, providing key advice in this operation; Tewis Smart, a firm specialised in refrigeration installation; and, last but not least, the City Council of Illescas. The logistics block – the DIA warehouse – will form part of the Illescas Green Logistics Park.

This project was funded by Aquila Capital in the second phase of Spain’s first eco-industrial park, Iberum Central Platform. The warehouse will be constructed following strict environmental standards and the installation of solar panels will ensure it is energy self-sufficient.

“This project constitutes a huge challenge for all those involved for various reasons. In addition to finding a plot of land of significant dimensions and with a suitable location in a strategic area to supply shops efficiently, our priority was also finding partners who share our future vision to embark on this project together. Specialised in the fields of town planning, finance and equipment, our partners have joined forces at a crucial moment in the transformation of DIA, adding new impetus to this process of change”, commented Lucia Maricalva, Director of Real Estate for DIA Spain.

This project represents an essential step in the DIA transformation process. In order to meet the second phase goals, it is essential for the company to establish a solid logistics network that is adapted to its current and future needs. In this way, it will supply shops to meet customer needs in an efficient and rigorous manner.

The production carried out in the company’s warehouses in Arroyomolinos and Mejorada del Campo in the province of Madrid, and Azuqueca de Henares in Guadalajara, will be relocated to Illescas. Consequently, the employees at the three warehouses are expected to transfer to this logistics platform, with a total workforce of around 500 employees in place for the launch.

 DIA’s warehouse in Getafe, Madrid, will remain in operation. Construction work is set to start this summer and operations are expected to begin at this new warehouse in the first quarter of 2022.