Decision to invest in Saxony-Anhalt:
The US company Avnet Inc. plans to construct a high-performance distribution centre for semiconductor electronics in Bernburg (Saale)
“We will be investing in a high-performance distribution centre for electronic components, including semi-conductor electronics, covering an area of around 56,000 square metres in Bernburg, where we will be creating several hundred jobs. Our aims are to supply the growing market for semiconductors and electronic components, to help implement the Avnet growth strategy in Europe and to safeguard our high standard of customer service,” said Slobodan Puljarevic, president of Avnet EMEA, during a press conference in Bernburg town hall. Puljarevic explained that the decisive features of the location are its central position in Europe and the good transport links with the DHL hub at Leipzig-Halle Airport.
Construction is planned to start in September 2022 and the centre will gradually be brought into operation during 2024. The company will then start delivering up to 19,000 parcels a day to over 30,000 customers worldwide. The new facility will complement Avnet’s two existing European distribution centres in Tongeren in Belgium and Poing near Munich in Germany.
“We are starting the gradual process of recruiting the staff we need immediately and continuing during each phase of the construction process,” added Roswitha Heiland, Vice President Avnet Logistics EMEA. The company will be looking for logistics employees, team leaders in sales, administration and HR, specialists in exports and imports, transport management and quality management, IT experts, engineers, technicians and facility management staff. Anyone interested can find out about vacant positions on the careers page of the company’s website (www.avnet.eu).
Sven Schulze, Minister of Economic Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt, welcomed the company’s move to Saxony-Anhalt. Avnet is one of a large number of US companies that have invested a total of almost half a billion euros in Saxony-Anhalt and created or safeguarded over 5000 jobs. “We in Saxony-Anhalt are proud that another global company is coming to our region. This will give a boost to our entire domestic industry. Saxony-Anhalt is in the centre of Germany, which is an attractive location for companies from all over the world. The ongoing development of the business sector in the region will remain one of our top priorities in future.”
Dr. Silvia Ristow, mayor of the city of Bernburg (Saale) is also pleased about this significant investment in Bernburg: “We are very happy to have been able to make a convincing offer, together with our partners. The site in Bernburg West industry park, which covers an area of around 190,000 square metres, meets all the company’s requirements. Avnet is a new member of the international family here. The company is a valuable addition to Bernburg as a business location and, with the installation of a photovoltaic system on the new centre roof, the use of green electricity and eco-certification, is also contributing to our move towards making the industry in the region more sustainable.”
“Our bid and, importantly, the rapid planning approval process here have paid off. I would like to thank everyone who has given their support to Bernburg over the last few months. The project will not only give a new impetus to Bernburg, but also represents another milestone on our route to becoming Silicon Junction,” said Thomas Einsfelder, managing director of the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt (IMG), whose team has been responsible for coordinating and supporting Avnet’s move to a site very close to the second largest German cargo airport in Leipzig/Halle, since the initial contact was made via Logivest in December 2020.
Thomas Ludäscher, Senior Vice President and CFO Avnet EMEA added finally: “We would like to thank the Ministry for Economic Affairs, the IMG and the development bank, together with the city of Bernburg and the Salzland district, for the excellent support they have given us and for their cooperation. Thanks also go to our partners Partner Logivest GmbH, Miebach Consulting, Verdion GmbH, Tricer Management GmbH and the Max Bögl Group who have helped us with the implementation.”
According to the company, the investment amounts to more than 225 million euros.
Background information on Avnet Inc.:
As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers’ evolving needs for over a century. We support customers at each stage of a product’s life cycle, from idea to design and from prototype to production. Our unique position at the centre of the technology value chain enables us to accelerate the design and supply stages of product development, so that our customers can shorten their time-to-market and earn revenue more quickly. For decades, Avnet has been helping its customers and suppliers around the world to make use of the transformative possibilities of technology.
In EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), Avnet has a customer and supplier strategy that focuses on various technological fields. Its independent business units EBV Elektronik, Avnet Silica, Avnet Abacus and Avnet Embedded give it a strong market position. These business units combine world-class technical expertise with a comprehensive range of supply chain services. Avnet also relies on Avnet Logistics, its strong logistical backbone, with its worldwide warehouses and distribution centres.