ProLogis to Develop 860,000-Square-Foot Distribution Center in Spain for Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances

MADRID, Spain, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ProLogis , the world's largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities, announced today that it will develop and lease 860,000 square feet (80,000 square meters) in northern Spain to Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances, a leading home appliance company and customer of ProLogis in North America and Europe.

BSH's new facility will be built in the city of Zaragoza, a growing distribution hub situated halfway between Madrid and Barcelona along the A-2 highway, Spain's primary east-west motorway. BSH, which currently operates seven factories and two office locations in Spain, will use the space to distribute its brand-name cooktops, ovens, washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers and small electrics to its network of retailers throughout southern Europe.

Additionally, BSH's new warehouse will utilize sustainable design features and technologies. Among these are roof-mounted solar panels that generate electricity, a rainwater storage system, energy-efficient lighting and water-efficient landscaping; the site will also have direct access to rail.

"Zaragoza has become a hotspot for distribution for the some of the region's top consumer products manufacturers and suppliers due to its convenient access to major population centers and multiple modes of transport," said Ranald Hahn, ProLogis managing director for southern Europe. "The city is also on the forefront of sustainability, with customers increasingly requesting space that is built with minimal impact on the environment."

"We selected ProLogis over the competition based on our previous leasing experience with the company," said Pedro Bueno, director of BSH's logistics operations. "Their proven ability to reach prescribed objectives, sustainable development expertise and long-term ownership and asset management services provides BSH with continued confidence as we move forward on this important project in Spain."

This is ProLogis' second distribution center in the Zaragoza area; the first, totaling 516,000 square feet (48,000 square meters), is fully leased to ARC International, a world-leading tableware supplier. The building, which was completed earlier this year, also features environmental design and construction.

Gustavo Cardozo, ProLogis first vice president and market director of Spain added, "We believe that BSH's new distribution center, which will be one of the largest sustainable build-to-suit projects developed by ProLogis in Europe, will not only establish a benchmark for the logistics sector in Spain but across the continent."

Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances, S.A. manufactures and distributes brand-name products including Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau, Neff, Ufesa, Balay and Lynx. The company is integrated with BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgerate GmbH; together the group has 45 factories and more than 38,000 employees around the world. Approximately 4,700 of those employees work for BSH in Spain.

ProLogis is one of the largest providers of industrial space in Spain with approximately 5.3 million square feet (492,500 square meters) of space owned, managed or under development. In addition to BSH and ARC, other ProLogis customers in Spain include Eurofred, Geodis Iberia, DHL, CEVA Logistics, Schneider Electric Espana, Legrand, CAT Groupe, Abbott Laboratories, Goodyear-Dunlop Tires Espana and Rhenus Logistics.

About ProLogis

ProLogis is the world's largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities, with operations in 121 markets across North America, Europe and Asia. The company has $38.8 billion of assets owned, managed and under development, comprising 526.3 million square feet (48.9 million square meters) in 2,817 properties as of March 31, 2008. ProLogis' customers include manufacturers, retailers, transportation companies, third-party logistics providers and other enterprises with large-scale distribution needs. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, ProLogis employs over 1,500 people worldwide. For additional information about the company, go to http://www.prologis.com/.