Since the beginning of the year, large-scale construction fences have been erected at the KLS Martin campus in Tuttlingen. Last Friday, the ground-breaking ceremony took place to mark the start of the construction phase of the new logistics center. Together, (from the left) Christian Markgraf (Vice President, Chief Operating Officer), Michael Martin (Managing Director), Lord Mayor Michael Beck, Karl Leibinger (Member of the Supervisory Board), Steve Lang (Wende architects), Christian Leibinger (Managing Director and Chairman of the Supervisory Board), Thomas Hipp (Managing Director) and District Administrator Stefan Bär break the ground. The construction project represents the largest single investment in the history of the KLS Martin Group to date.
The new building will be attached to the existing logistics center and will cover an area of 6,000 m². This is divided into a high-bay warehouse for storing pallets and small load carriers, a central building, and an office extension. By using an intelligent energy recovery system, the KLS Martin Group will save 15% of energy, supported by the intelligent switching on and off of the system according to the daily shifts. In addition, the existing building will be refurbished to meet current energy standards and functionally integrated into the new building.
"After an intensive planning phase of over two years, we are delighted to be able to celebrate the start of construction of our logistics center today. The construction project aims to secure the planned growth and the increasing market demands on logistics for the next 15 years, particularly in terms of increasing efficiency and sustainability," says Christian Leibinger of the KLS Martin Group.
The high-bay warehouse is the centerpiece of the construction project, with space for over 8,000 pallets and around 160,000 containers. The fully automated warehouse will not only provide products in line with demand but also control the storage and retrieval of pallets, maximizing efficiency, and storage density while maintaining a high degree of flexibility. The transport system achieves 98% of automation.
The new building will be a technological enrichment for the KLS Martin Group and an eye-catcher in the district of Tuttlingen. With a building height of over 20 meters, the facade will be planted using three-dimensional wire rope nets. The greening of the facade designed by Büro Barkow-Leibinger represents added aesthetic and ecological value. With the significant height of the logistics center, the planting creates a valuable habitat for insects and birds, and contributes significantly to the project's environmental sustainability. The KLS Martin Group expects to start using the new logistics center in the fourth quarter of 2026.
"A look into the past shows how KLS Martin has grown here at the Tuttlingen site with the KLS Martin WORLD as well as at the sites in Muehlheim and Fridingen. This development, dynamism, and growth are enormous and admirable. I am particularly pleased about the continuing connection of this global player to the district of Tuttlingen," emphasizes District Administrator Stefan Bär.
The construction of the new logistics center is currently not the only building project of the KLS Martin Group. A multi-story car park is underway on the opposite side of the road to the KLS Martin Campus (Ludwigstaler Straße, towards Nendingen). The multi-story car park will have a capacity of approx. 370 parking spaces. The KLS Martin Group is pursuing the goal of a traffic-calmed campus and, thus, the creation of a quiet zone in the outdoor area as a place for its employees to spend time.
"In the current challenging times, there is less investment in our city and throughout the country. Therefore, it is more pleasing that the KLS Martin Group is investing in its company and our city. The planned greening of the new building sets a benchmark in Tuttlingen; nothing like this is already there. It is also a sign for the employees, as well as the construction of a multi-story car park for the entire workforce," said Lord Mayor Michael Beck about the current developments.