ATLANTIC GRUPA dd : is strategically investing into the future of distribution

Atlantic Grupa has officially opened a new logistics-distribution centre near Velika Gorica that features modern equipment. It secures adequate logistics support during the long term development of distribution operations.

The investment into the construction and equipment worth nearly 20 million Euros was realised in just seven months in cooperation with a strategic partner, the Kamgrad company. What makes the project particularly interesting are its ambitions in the area of digitalisation of warehouse operations thereby making the new logistics-distribution centre a true test site for new technologies that have already been implemented or are in the process of implementation, such as autonomous logistics robots.

30 THOUSAND SPOTS FOR PALLETS

The newly built facility integrates the overall warehousing capacities of Atlantic Grupa in the area of Zagreb and is the central logistics centre for the Croatian market. Kamgrad, as the leading construction company in Croatia with a long term experience in the construction of various types of facilities, has proven to be the logical choice for the strategic partner for the construction of the facility pursuant to the specific needs of Atlantic Grupa for a long term lease since the distribution strategy of Atlantic Grupa does not call for the construction of own warehouses.
It is positioned at an optimal geographical location taking into consideration all elements important to ensure business sustainability of the project (transport distance, lease price etc.). It was found in a very propulsive industrial zone, Meridijan 16, close to Velika Gorica. A warehousing capacity of 30,000 spots for pallets has been secured during the first phase, and the modern high-racking facility also has the option to expand modularly pursuant to the business needs thereby ensuring long term sustainability and support to further development of distribution operations.
Development of the distribution operations is one of the pillars of growth and development of the strategy of Atlantic Grupa whose core is focus on the consumer aided by modern solutions offering an all-encompassing process of digitalisation operations. The new modern software packages will be managing the ingoing and outgoing merchandise and vehicles at the new location, as well as optimal organisation of merchandise in the warehouse through 'virtualisation' used to create logical separation of warehousing areas within a single physical area. It will also ship merchandise to the buyers via a fully digitalised and paperless delivery channel.

SITE FOR TESTING AUTONOMOUS LOGISTIC ROBOTS

What is particularly interesting about the new logistics-distribution centre is the pilot project of cooperation with Gideon Brothers, a Croatian robotics company. Atlantic Grupa has commenced the project of testing the first commercial product of this technological company - an autonomous logistics robot. This is a robot prototype intended for independent driving with the capacity to transfer cargo weighing up to 800 kilograms. It was designed to safely manoeuvre among people, equipment and other logistics vehicles. The robot is equipped with an autonomous system based on visual perception combining the methods of deep learning with stereoscopic cameras in order to create a new generation of robotic vision that is equally reliable and cheaper than the systems used today and that, unlike the existing ones, uses rich databases. First such autonomous robots will enter the new facility on April 15th once the test operations are set to commence.