Overview
The partnership between Rhenus Logistics, a global contract logistics leader, and Horizon Industrial Parks in the Delhi NCR, showcases a new model for high-stakes market entry in India. Rhenus required compliant infrastructure and scalable capacity to serve its diverse multi-client portfolio. Developed within Horizon’s 108-acre, IGBC Platinum-certified park at Farukhnagar, this partnership enabled a multinational home & lifestyle retailer’s first fully outsourced Customer Distribution Centre (CDC) in India – a feat that required extraordinary agility, precision, and sustainability alignment. The client sought a facility that could meet its global standards of efficiency, compliance, and ESG performance. After an exhaustive due diligence process, Horizon Industrial Park’s Farukhnagar I campus was chosen whereby the decisive factor was Horizon’s solution-oriented approach and ability to re-engineer a ready-to-move-in block into customised logistics hub, rapidly adapted with crucial enhancements – such as thermal insulation, tailored dock solutions, and proximity parking. The resulting hub is a blueprint for integrated supply chain excellence, built on a foundation of agility and long-term partnership; a facility that combines global best practices with Indian operational intelligence.
Sector:
Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
Company Overview:
A global logistics powerhouse founded in 1912 in Holzwickede, Germany, Rhenus Group operates across 70+ countries, employing over 40,000 professionals. As part of the Rethmann Group, it provides end-to-end logistics and supply chain solutions including contract logistics, air and ocean freight, project logistics, and last-mile distribution. In India, Rhenus has emerged as a key player in the organised logistics space, recognised by the AITWA Nation Builder Award for its contribution to national infrastructure development. The end client is a global home furnishing giant, with over three decades of sourcing experience in India and an expanding retail presence.
Rhenus Logistics Facility: A Closer Look
The facility – a ready-to-move-in block delivered by Horizon Industrial Parks – was strategically enhanced to meet the demands of high-velocity, multi-shift 3PL operations and the specific requirements of the client’s furniture and e-commerce logistics.
Dock-rich facility with 19 loading bays
High-density storage with ~32,000 pallet positions
13 m clear eave height for vertical racking
FM2-compliant flooring (5 T/sqm UDL)
EV-ready infrastructure supporting last-mile delivery
Strategic NCR location with multi-highway access
Horizon Industrial Parks' Solution: The Key Highlights
Efficient Design and Operational Layout
Rhenus’ operations required maximizing storage density and throughput – challenges addressed through superior technical specifications:
- Pallet Capacity & Throughput: The facility is dock-rich, featuring 19 loading bays and a capacity for ~32,000 pallet positions. The node is equipped bespoke enhancements like dock pits and movable dock lights to facilitate rapid vehicle turnaround and safe loading operations, even during night shifts and peak seasons. This design ensures high cube utilization and resilience during peak periods.
- Structural Efficiency: The unit features a high 13m eave height, crucial for Rhenus to install optimal vertical racking configurations and maximize storage density.
- Floor & Flow Performance: FM2-compliant flooring with a 5T/sqm Uniformly Distributed Load (UDL) was provided, ensuring enhanced flatness and durability essential for high-frequency, multi-shift MHE operations.
- Worker Comfort: Horizon provides roof and wall insulation to the units to ensure thermal comfort on the floorplate, a key factor for productivity and employee retention in a multi-shift environment, setting our industrial spaces apart.
- Customization: The entrance was custom-designed to align with Rhenus’ operational and branding guidelines, demonstrating a commitment to a “right-fit” solution over a generic facility.
Strategic and Well-Connected Location
The Farukhnagar park enables Rhenus to operate at the nerve center of North India’s consumption hub. Located near IMT Manesar and Gurugram, the park offers crucial proximity to manufacturing and high-density consumer markets in NCR. The location provides direct access to key corridors, including the NH-48 (Delhi-Jaipur Highway) and the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway (KMP), the State Highway 15A (SH 15A), essential for efficient first-mile and pan-North India distribution. Horizon’s park co-locates Rhenus Logistics with blue-chip companies stabilizing the shared labour pool and service ecosystem. The site’s proximity to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) (approx. 35 km) is vital for last-mile logistics into the densely populated Delhi-NCR region, supporting the client’s promise of quicker, more cost-effective deliveries.
Solution-First Methodology:
The engagement went beyond a standard lease, using a “solutioning” methodology that was crucial to Rhenus securing the contract. Rhenus secured the initial ~3.5 lakh sq ft lease in 2020 and subsequently launched the CDC (~180,000 sq ft) using the ready-to-move block strategy, avoiding the long lead times associated with full Built-to-Suit (BTS) projects and to align perfectly with the end client’s technical logistics requirements and Rhenus’s operational model. The deal was structured to be cost-efficient. Horizon’s team focused on customization (e.g., dock lights, insulation, floor specification) to ensure the facility met the client’s global standards without adding exponential costs, ultimately giving Rhenus the commercial confidence needed to win the contract.
Partnership and Compliance Excellence
The relationship is defined by deep collaboration, ensuring operational reliability and global compliance. Marcus Fornell, Director of Warehousing Solutions at Rhenus Logistics India, affirmed, “We don’t see Horizon as a traditional landlord. They’re a real partner – collaborative, agile, and solution-focused. Their proactive approach allowed us to relax and focus on our main business while they handled everything from compliance to timelines.”.
Horizon’s commitment to rigorous due diligence and compliance, validated by the IGBC Platinum status, was non-negotiable for Rhenus to meet the stringent international requirements of their major clients. Horizon has demonstrated the ability to deliver multi-client, high-compliance warehousing, including specialized non-inflammable chemical storage blocks (301,000 sq ft in a separate project near Mumbai), showcasing the depth of its solution capabilities for Rhenus’s diverse portfolio.
ESG-Compliant & People-Centric Unit
Horizon’s IGBC Platinum-certified park provided the necessary foundation for Rhenus Logistics and the multinational home & lifestyle retailer to meet their global decarbonization and social responsibility goals.
- IGBC Platinum Standard: The 108-acre park is IGBC Platinum Certified, establishing a benchmark for sustainability and compliance.
- EV Infrastructure: The campus is equipped with EV charging stations to support Rhenus Home Delivery’s electric vehicle fleet, enabling the client’s move towards a near-100% EV last-mile delivery model in the NCR.
- Water & Light Efficiency: The facility incorporates rainwater harvesting systems and energy-efficient skylights (covering 3-5% of the roof area) to maximize natural daylight and reduce reliance on grid power.
- Workforce Experience: Horizon re-organized parking near the unit and designed the facility with human-centric amenities like restrooms, sports arenas, medical facilities, etc.
On A Final Note
The Rhenus-Horizon partnership at Farukhnagar embodies the new face of India’s industrial logistics: solution-driven, ESG-aligned, and globally benchmarked. It proves that infrastructure can be a strategic differentiator – not just a service.
By merging Rhenus’ logistics precision, the global home and lifestyle brand’s retail scale, and Horizon’s development expertise, this project sets a gold standard for integrated supply chain ecosystems. It is a blueprint for future-ready industrial partnerships – where global ambition meets local execution, sustainability meets scalability, and partnership becomes the new currency of growth.
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