Eco-friendly, energy-efficient and highly productive: WALA’s new sales and logistics center meets the highest standards. Drees & Sommer supported the project from the early stages through to commissioning and beyond.

Natural cosmetics is the fastest growing segment of the  German cosmetics market, and WALA Heilmittel GmbH is benefiting from this trend. The Swabian manufacturer of  natural remedies and natural cosmetics supplies its products to 40 countries worldwide. To keep pace with continued growth, the company has invested in a new sales and logistics center in the Wängen industrial park in Zell unter Aichelberg.

WALA and Drees & Sommer had already established a trusting relationship working together on the successful construction of a new laboratory building,  roviding a sound basis for cooperation on this, WALA’s largest construction project to date. As a first step, the Life Sciences team reviewed the concept and cost estimate. After a comparative cost analysis, the experts coordinated  savings measures with the client and planners.

During the project, the Life Sciences and project management professionals  worked hand in hand and coordinated closely with the client. If performance was not up to scratch, they initiated countermeasures via the planners – thus  keeping the extensive project on track. The engineering experts ensured all disciplines successfully completed their work on the WALA sales and logistics center and supported commissioning management.

The high level of complexity was challenging for all involved. The sales and logistics center has several different functions and includes different types of packaging and storage. The Good Distribution Practice (GDP) rules governing  pharmaceutical logistics also had to be adhered to. The successful integration of the warehousing and logistics supplier software required special early  preparation, including emulation.

Sustainability was a theme running throughout the entire project. The grounds  feature wildflower meadows, native shrubs, and traditional varieties of fruit trees. The building itself makes exclusive use of green electricity and LED  lights, and uses logistics technology with energy recovery. The building’s own combined cooling, heat and power plant and a carbon-neutral pellet heating  system supply it with heat. Power is supplemented by a photovoltaic system.

The company makes best use of the hillside location to save as much energy as possible: For example, a large part of the temperature-controlled pharmaceutical storage area is located underground, which provides natural cooling. The combination of all these measures pays off: At the time of planning, WALA’s projected consumption was 30 percent below that prescribed by the then valid Energy Conservation Ordinance (EnEV).

Automated logistics solutions in the warehouse ensure maximum efficiency to reach the target of 600,000 packages per year. The SAP Extended Warehouse Management system (EWM) ensures maximum goods flow and the highest possible utilization of the warehouses. Digital tools reduce the workload for employees, for example, by providing containers and pallets via conveyor  systems just in time and at the ergonomically ideal height.

The new pallet and small parts warehouses feature an oxygen reduction system, making design or compartmentalization in accordance with fire prevention regulations unnecessary. An inertization process ensures that the oxygen is kept at such a low level that no fire can occur.

The building is divided into several separate parts, which are adjacent  to each other or connected by bridges. These individual modules can be extended separately, if required, ensuring future flexibility for WALA.