DB Schenker to open new zero-emissions logistics hub, hire 600 people in S’pore over seven years
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Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat (centre) and Ms Catherine Soo (far right), DB Schenker’s cluster chief executive for Singapore and Malaysia, at DB Schenker Logistic Centre 3 on Aug 14.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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SINGAPORE - German logistics firm DB Schenker said on Monday that it will open a new zero-emissions logistics hub in Tampines, which is slated to be completed by the first half of 2025.
The 600,000 sq ft facility – called RedLion2 – is designed to house the latest advanced automation solutions such as intelligent conveyor systems, automated storage and retrieval systems, and autonomous guided vehicles.
It also aims to support the semiconductor and healthcare industries with logistics solutions.
DB Schenker has more than 76,000 employees worldwide, with about 1,900 based here.
According to the company, RedLion2 is part of its plan to hire more than 600 people in Singapore over the next seven years in roles such as process automation, data analytics and digital transformation.
Established in Singapore in 1970, DB Schenker is a global logistics provider with more than 700,000 customers from industries such as aerospace, marine parts and semiconductors.
The company provides its customers with land, air and ocean transportation services. It also offers logistics and global supply chain management solutions.
DB Schenker said it will invest more than €100 million (S$148 million) in RedLion2, but declined to reveal an exact figure.
However, it said RedLion2 will be the firm’s largest investment in Singapore, surpassing the previous record for Red Lion, a $163 million warehouse which opened in 2020 in the free trade zone of the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore.
In his opening remarks at Monday’s ground-breaking event for RedLion2 in Tampines, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said DB Schenker’s expansion is a testament to Singapore’s strengths as a global distribution and transhipment hub.
Mr Chee added that Singapore is well positioned to take advantage of the global supply chain shift amid a post-pandemic recovery and geopolitical tensions.
“Our business-friendly environment, stable political system, strong rule of law, extensive network of free trade agreements (FTAs) and well-trained workforce are some of the attributes that have led companies to establish their operations here,” he said.
With the addition of RedLion2, DB Schenker’s 17 facilities in Singapore will occupy over four million sq ft of land.
The company said it plans to partner with local small and medium-sized enterprises to test-bed new ideas within the logistics industry through an innovation sandbox in RedLion2.
Ms Catherine Soo, cluster chief executive for Singapore and Malaysia, told The Straits Times that RedLion2 will be equipped with several sustainable features, including over 4,000 solar panels, to ensure that the facility is carbon-negative.
Ms Soo added that DB Schenker is expanding in Singapore due to the city-state’s sound logistical structure, strong governance and talented workforce.
“We see a lot of companies relocating or expanding to Singapore, and we can complement them by providing a logistics surface for everyone to grow together. This drives us to put Singapore at a higher level of importance than other countries.”
She added: “Other countries in Asia-Pacific where we have operations are fighting for the same investment from us, but DB Schenker Singapore has been able to deliver a very strong track record.”
