Bexco invests in a new production site at Blue Gate Antwerp
Bexco has agreed a thirty year-long lease with Blue Gate Antwerp for an area of land spanning 1.1 hectares. The company from Hamme will build a new plant extension for the production of ropes for the offshore industry.
Bexco has applied for planning permission to build at the end of June and plans to commence construction in the autumn.
The new facility is forecasted for completion by June 2015. Approximately 25 employees will be located at the site.
Factory of the future
Bexco will base the construction of its new facility on the eco-efficient ambitions of Blue Gate Antwerp. This means the building will be constructed to conform with the BREEAM international sustainability standard ( level: very good)
The company also satisfies the criteria other companies will be required to meet in order to join Blue Gate Antwerp. It is innovative and internationally focussed, and will have a fine example of the factory of the future. Bexco will also maximise the use of Blue Gate Antwerp’s accessibility to the waterside, which is another important pillar of the project.
Waterfront location
Bexco produces synthetic ropes for the shipping and offshore industries. In the offshore sector, the market is demanding longer mooring ropes as drilling for hydrocarbons now takes place in ultra-deep water locations. The ropes produced by Bexco are designed for mooring platforms at sea. The company went in search for a suitable waterfront location in order to tender for even larger projects in the future.
“We found the ideal location in Blue Gate Antwerp ,” comments Francis Mottrie, CEO of Bexco. “Blue Gate Antwerp is located right on the Waterfront. Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV is building a new quay wall suitable for handling heavy loads.”
First Occupant
For Blue Gate Antwerp, this is the first new occupant of the new eco-efficient and water-bound industrial site in development in the South of Antwerp. “With the new Bexco plant we have truly launched Blue Gate Antwerp onto the market,” says Philip Heylen, Chairman of Blue Gate Antwerp.
“Blue Gate Antwerp is targeting innovative and internationally-focussed enterprises. We have set the bar high and have proven with Bexco that we can clear that height. We are currently in discussion with other companies interested in Blue Gate Antwerp. There are a number of opportunities being explored.”