Vermako builds logistics halls that think along with your process

Seasonal peaks, growing order volumes and a processing space that can no longer keep up: it's a scenario that many logistics managers recognize. The standard solution is additional construction. That means: classic warehouse, sandwich panels, months of construction time. But more and more companies are discovering that things can be done differently. Faster, more flexible, and designed around their own process.

Vermako of Tielt, Belgium, has been building foil greenhouses for professional horticulture for more than 35 years. In 2014, the company scaled up that technology for logistics and industrial applications: lightweight steel structures with spans of more than 60 meters, clear heights of 14 meters or more, and a translucent foil roof. “Many companies compare quotes for a classic shed, without knowing that there is a fundamentally different approach,” explains Frederik Wittevrongel, Account Manager at Vermako.

“The major advantages of our structures for logistics operations are construction time, lower investment per square meter, and flexibility. A Vermako canopy is demountable and relocatable. This opens up possibilities that a traditional warehouse does not offer: seasonal capacity expansion, storage in a temporary location, or gradual expansion as volumes grow,” he continues.

7,200 m² around the workflow

A recent project illustrates the approach. Leybaert BV in Moerbeke-Waas - a specialized plant nursery with European distribution - was bumping up against the limits of its logistics processing space in 2023. With the 2024 season approaching, waiting was not an option. Vermako realized a hall of more than 7,200 square meters with a fully integrated, automated processing line.

“We started here not by drawing, but by observing,” Wittevrongel says. “How do goods come in, how are they processed and packed, where are the bottlenecks in the flow? The construction is the final piece of that thinking. The layout follows the workflow, from supply to pallets ready for shipment, so there are no cross flows of goods or bottlenecks.” The result: Leybaert started up the 2024 season smoothly with the new capacity. The automated line handles both day trade and retail orders, and the hall immediately provided the clout to launch a new product brand. The expansion was not a standstill - it became a lever.

Everything in-house

What sets Vermako apart from many competitors is its complete vertical integration. The company has its own production hall of more than 20,000 square meters in Tielt, including its own pipe line. “From the purchase of raw steel to assembly on the customer's site, everything is done internally. One point of contact, one planning, one party responsible for the entire process. No subcontractors, no external links,” Wittevrongel said. “In logistics, everything is about reliability. That applies to the supply chain, and just as much to the construction process. If we say the hall will be there in eight weeks, it will be there.”

In addition, the warehouse maximizes natural daylight throughout the work space. That reduces energy costs for lighting and improves working conditions for employees who spend hours every day picking, sorting or packing. In a tight labor market, this is no longer an afterthought.

Vermako, which today counts companies such as DP World, Greenyard and BASF among its customers, has been around for more than 35 years. The family business has been in the hands of the second generation since November 2024: Karl and Kim Maes. The ambition is clear: to further expand the logistics and industrial branch and increase brand awareness outside the horticultural sector. “The message is simple,” Wittevrongel concludes. “Your next storage hall does not have to be a classic warehouse. There is an alternative that stands up faster, costs less, lets daylight in, and that you can move as needs change. For bulk storage, transshipment, order picking or seasonal capacity, it's well worth the comparison.”