Prologis announced fourth quarter and full year 2016 activity in Europe. Prologis Europe ended the fourth quarter with 96.7 percent occupancy, an increase of 90 basis points over the course of 2016. The company signed new leases and renewals totalling 718,200 square metres in the fourth quarter and 3.5 million square metres in the full year 2016 – an increase in volume of 54 percent over 2015.

Panattoni Europe has expanded its team. The developer’s ranks have been joined by Adam Janus, who has taken the position of Business Development Director. He will be responsible for attracting new warehouse projects and aligning the developer’s services with the needs of clients and prospects.

Panattoni Europe has completed a manufacturing and warehousing building for STS Acoustics. The facility features close to 9,000 sqm and was built at the Międzyrzecz Industrial Park, in the Lubuskie voivodeship. The lease was signed for 12 years.

At the end of last year Colliers sold the former Bricostore DIY-unit in Törökbálint to Régió, a Hungarian toy company. The building has approx. 12,000 sqm of GLA and will be used by Régió for warehousing purposes.

In Q4 2016 total leasing activity amounted to 133,460 sqm on the Budapest industrial market which marks a 64% rise on a yearly basis. Meanwhile, the vacancy rate reached a new post-crisis low at 8.1% and there is currently no scheme offering more than 10,000 sqm available adjacent space. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.

Panattoni Europe will build another BTS facility for H&M. The distribution centre spanning over 30,000 sqm will be built in Grodzisk Mazowiecki – construction works are set to start in February 2017. The investment will be certified under the LEED system, aiming for the Silver rating level.

Aluplast sp. z o.o., a supplier of PVC window systems, has signed a lease for 10,000 sqm of warehouse and manufacturing space at the Logicor Poznań III distribution centre. Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant in the lease negotiations.

American investor Exeter Property Group has finalized its acquisition of the North-West Logistic Park warehouse and production complex in Szczecin, Poland from Waimea Holding. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed. 

According to JLL’s review of last year, the Czech industrial market has exceeded the 6 million sqm mark in 2016 which makes it – along with the Polish one – one of the most advanced markets in CEE. 2016 gross-take up on the Czech industrial market totalled 1.2 million sqm which makes it one of the best years on record after the similarly successful years such of 2014 and 2015. Due to strong constant demand, the national average vacancy rate declined to 4%, which is the decade´s low and one of the lowest indicators in the market history. 

Prologis has announced that Prologis European Properties Fund II (PEPFII) has acquired M0 Central Business Park in Hungary from IDI Gazeley. Two newly acquired, 100 percent let, facilities totalling 31,443 square metres will become part of the adjoining 98-percent let Prologis Park Budapest-Sziget, which currently comprises seven buildings totalling 150,000 square metres.