The logistics real estate market has started since 2000 when many distribution companies (called “shippers”) decided to outsource the logistics function, to logistics service providers (“logisticians “).
Globalization has also favored the development of logistics. Goods or components coming from low-cost countries, Asia in particular, and passing through northern European ports (Rotterdam, etc.) or French ports (Le Havre, Marseille, for example) before ending in warehouses or logistics platforms.
During this period, the logistics function itself has become more professional and, companies start to hire “Logisitcs manager” to manage the flow of products upstream and downstream.
Outsourcing of logistics has lead to the construction of new logistics platform leased by the logisticians for the storage of shippers products.
In this movement, logistics real estate has become more professional: property companies or funds have decided to invest & build this kind of real estate.
This is how, in the 2000s, class A warehouses were born, characterized mainly by a useful height of 10 meters, a 5 T/sq.m paving well surfaced with hardener, a truck yard 35 meters deep, a depth of warehouse space of around 100 meters, a dock door for 1,000 sq.m of warehouse space, combined with a leveling dock for easy loading of trucks. A new regulation concerning warehouses under ICPE also appeared in August 2002, which had the effect of “standardizing” the platforms and as a consequence of “downgrading” previous warehouses that did not comply with this regulations.
It was during this period that ARGAN was born, in 1993 more precisely; from 1993 to 2000, ARGAN created or acquired a few platforms and it was from January 1, 2000 that the company gradually structured itself to become a major player in France.