The Villadangos del Páramo Industrial Park experienced a key day with the official launch of the new logistics infrastructure for the Dia supermarket chain. This project, which is already operating at full capacity, is establishing itself as a fundamental component for food distribution in northwest Spain. The inauguration was attended by key regional authorities and company executives, who emphasized the importance of this location for the region. economic and employment revitalization of the province of León.
These facilities are not just any warehouse, as their capacity will allow them to supply more than 200 stores, mainly located in Castile and León and Asturias, although their reach will also extend to parts of Galicia, Cantabria, and the Basque Country. With construction on schedule, the center is expected to be fully operational before the end of summer, handling a volume of merchandise that It's around three million boxes per month during their busiest times.
Technical capacity and technological advancement
The facility in Villadangos stands out for its size, with a constructed area of 64.000 square meters, placing it among the group's largest warehouses in Spain. To manage this volume, 127 loading and unloading docks have been installed, along with storage space for over 25.000 pallets. Inside, the logistics are divided to accommodate some 5.000 different SKUs, ensuring that consumer goods and fresh food arrives in optimal condition to the shelves of local supermarkets.
Order picking efficiency relies on a dual technology that combines voice guidance and light signals. This system, known as voice-picking and put-to-light, enables operators to accurately identify which items to pick and where to place them in the transport system. Thanks to this innovation, the following is achieved: streamline loading processes of the nearly 200 trucks that will pass through the platform daily, improving the quality of the final service to the customer.
Sustainability and commitment to the territory
One of the cornerstones of this new center is its environmentally friendly design, having obtained high energy efficiency certifications. The infrastructure incorporates solar panels, state-of-the-art machinery with lithium batteries, and a management system that allows 95% of the waste generated to be reused or recycled. Furthermore, a third of the surface area is dedicated to temperature controlled chambers, essential for cold chain logistics in Spain Operate without emitting greenhouse gases, ensuring the cold chain from -21 to 12 degrees Celsius.
Dia's arrival in this area has been a breath of fresh air for local employment, generating more than 200 new direct jobs. The project was made possible by a joint investment of €60 million, with the collaboration of developers specializing in logistics real estate assets. This commitment reinforces the company's strategy for strengthen its distribution networkalways seeking closeness with the consumer and the structuring of the territory through its franchised and own establishments.
A rapidly expanding logistics hub
The consolidation of this warehouse also reflects the growth of the Villadangos industrial park itself, which aspires to become the leading industrial hub in northern Spain. The regional government has promoted the expansion of this industrial land to meet the high demand from businesses, confirming that most of the new plots are already occupied. The goal is to offer top-tier services and clean energy at competitive prices, encouraging more companies to choose León as the base of their operations.
The impact of the chain's activity on the region is significant, representing a substantial portion of the local gross domestic product and collaborating with over a hundred suppliers in the area. The opening of this center facilitates a faster and more efficient distribution of regional products to retail outlets. Ultimately, this new distribution model aims to ensure that logistics is the silent engine that guarantees that households in Castile and León always have fresh, quality products on hand in their trusted store.