
Panattoni: Constructing tomorrow's distribution centers

The vision of Panattoni
Jeroen Gerritsen, the Managing Director of Panattoni Netherlands and Belgium, reflects on his journey: “I am fascinated by creating things, ever since my days playing with LEGO. It’s about bringing visions to life.” A passion that drove Panattoni’s exponential growth over the past five years, evolving from a small team to a powerhouse of over 25 experts tackling complex projects.
Panattoni’s core mission is to develop high-quality industrial and logistics spaces that not only meet but exceed the expectations of their clients and end-users. As Jeroen explains, “We are pure developers; our primary drive is to transform land into thriving industrial or logistical locations, and we are always looking for new brownfield sites to unlock their full potential.”

Partnership with NIBC
When Panattoni sought to expand its activities into the Netherlands, they needed a financial partner who understood their ambitious drive. Niels Heijndijk, Finance and Operations Manager at Panattoni the Netherlands and Belgium, noted, “We chose NIBC because of their entrepreneurial spirit. They understand what we, as a client, are looking for. They have small, specialist teams, just like us, and they have a good understanding of logistics and port-related real estate.”
Niels emphasizes the nature of their collaboration: “NIBC looks beyond the figures to understand the context and our goals as a developer.” This understanding fosters a relationship built on trust, reliability, and forward-thinking. NIBC’s approach ensures the delivery of tailored financial solutions that support the innovative and dynamic projects Panattoni undertakes, helping the company swiftly adapt to market changes and pursue such innovative projects.

Milestone projects: Moerdijk and Roermond
The collaboration’s first pivotal project was in Moerdijk. “Moerdijk was a brownfield development,” Jeroen explains. “We transformed an outdated industrial site into a modern logistics development. The new, sustainable building is long-term leased to a prominent international logistics service provider.” NIBC’s understanding of the logistics product and their quick, reliable financing played an important role.
Roermond, another significant project, posed unique challenges with local regulations. “Roermond was my first acquisition at Panattoni,” Jeroen shares. “Navigating the strict aesthetics committee taught us a lot, and the end result was two beautiful logistics buildings. It was rewarding to see how we adapted to meet local demands.” Panattoni’s perseverance paid off with the successful development of two logistics buildings, each tailored to meet specific tenant needs.
One of the sites serves Cooper Surgical, a leader in medical equipment, while the other supports GXO, managing logistics for Reebok’s European operations. “What we’re proud of—and also really enjoy doing—is brownfield development; non-sustainable buildings are being replaced by new state-of-the-art buildings. This type of re-development is complex; you have to coordinate many things at once to ultimately achieve a great end result. That’s exactly what we managed to do there, and in a very short time.”

Innovation and sustainability
Panattoni’s projects are not just about scale but also about sustainability. “Our buildings are developed to a minimum of BREEAM-NL ‘Very Good’ certification,” Jeroen states. “LED lighting, heat pumps, and bike-friendly facilities are standard. These elements reduce energy consumption and enhance our environmental responsibility.”
Shared celebrations
In the competitive landscape of real estate development, the partnership between Panattoni and NIBC Bank stands as a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration, understanding, and shared vision. Reflecting on their shared milestones, Jeroen remarks, “Next to NIBC’s 80th anniversary this year, we celebrate Panattoni’s five years in the Netherlands and twenty years in Europe! It’s a great honor to mark these anniversaries with NIBC.”
