269,314 bricks, 12,000 tonnes of concrete, 2,792 days of project work, 2,000 truckloads of excavated soil, 517 windows and 170 on-site trades: FIEGE’s new office building at Münster’s Hafen district – the X-Dock (pronounced as cross dock) – is deserving of its opening celebrations. And Wednesday finally marked that day. With Münster’s Lord Mayor, Markus Lewe in attendance plus around 120 invitees, the X-Dock was festively inaugurated following a roughly three-year construction period. With this new location in the Hafen district, the FIEGE family business is adding to its presence in Münster beside its logistics centre in the industrial zone on Hessenweg.

“Something great has been created here. I wish to warmly congratulate FIEGE on the opening of the X-Dock”, Lewe expressed in his welcoming address. The Greven-based logistics company is wonderful proof of just how important and defining family enterprises are for the economy and for society when managed well. “Not only has FIEGE been rooted firmly in the Münsterland for more than 150 years with great economic success and, incidentally, been the main sponsor of SC Preußen Münster for over four years now, but it is also a vital employer and innovation driver for the entire region and the city of Münster. A warm welcome to our wonderful B-Side.”

Starting last August, one floor at a time of the x-shaped building with its 10,500 square metres of office space spread across a total of six floors came to life in the Mittelhafen. FIEGE rents the first two upper floors to outside businesses. On the remaining floors, the logistics company, which employs 22,000 people in 14 countries around the world, now consolidates its various business units previously based at multiple locations in Münster, under a single roof.

Jens Fiege explained: “With the X-Dock we have created a special place for our colleagues right in the heart of Münster. People should be paramount – which is why we have set up a working environment in the creative and digital surroundings of the Hafen which invites people to communicate and to connect. With this step, we are on one hand aiming to inspire colleagues who are already part of our team while on the other, as an employer, become even more attractive for the best talent and executives of tomorrow.”

To the rear of the rooftop, FIEGE has installed a photovoltaic system which generates around 60,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy per year. The new building is also up to date when it comes to Smart Building features. For example, all workstations, conference rooms, lockers, parking spaces and electric charging points can be reserved conveniently via an app. Energy efficient flooring improves the indoor climate while optimising overall energy efficiency. It is even possible to check the canteen’s capacity utilisation online in order to time a lunch break as best as possible.