Groupe Alainé has signed for the entire 32,000 sqm warehouse that British developer Baytree Logistics Properties built on spec near the Pont de Normandie at Honfleur. The French family-owned transport and logistics operator takes the full five-cell scheme on a lease, giving it a fresh foothold on one of the country’s busiest logistics corridors.
Strategic Rationale
The site sits close to the A29 motorway and within reach of the Haropa Port terminal, well placed for both domestic and international flows. Alainé already runs more than 600,000 sqm of warehousing, so why Honfleur? Normandy carries weight in the group’s history. Its first location away from its historic base came in 2012, at Etainhus. “This new platform strengthens our presence in Normandy,” said president Franck Alainé, framing the move as a way to keep pace with client growth and operational ambitions.
Operational Details
GSE completed the building last October, and it carries BREEAM Excellent certification. Cushman & Wakefield and BNP Paribas Asset Management advised on the deal. A beverage-sector occupier is expected to move in within weeks. That fits Alainé’s track record with mineral water brands, business it has historically handled closer to the Marseille-Fos port rather than the Channel coast.
With 1,700 staff, a fleet of 900 tractor units and roughly twice as many trailers, the group posted €400M in revenue last year. The Honfleur lease signals it intends to keep adding capacity where its customers are heading next.
