Urban Transformer Omer Arslan, Using a Forklift for City Improvement
In the heart of Amsterdam, a for-profit construction consolidation center named Bouwhub Amsterdam has taken root, transforming a fallow open space of 8,000 square meters in the city's port into a bustling logistics hub. The centre's mission is simple: to take lorries off the streets and streamline the construction process.
At the helm of Bouwhub Amsterdam is Omer Arslan, the Director of Operations. Arriving as the first employee, Arslan was instrumental in the physical development of the company, overseeing the installation of fences, lighting, camera systems, and a warehouse.
Arslan's background in process technology, where he focused on minimising CO2 emissions in hot-metal production, has proven invaluable in his current role. He emphasises the importance of managing material flows and focusing on IT early on to make activities at the construction site visible.
Bouwhub Amsterdam is not a construction company, but a white label, allowing different companies to store their materials. This innovative approach to construction logistics has been met with some resistance, with some companies choosing to stick to traditional methods. However, Arslan remains optimistic, believing that construction companies should have logistics on a corporate level to see the benefits and naturally turn to third-party solutions.
The origins of Bouwhub Amsterdam can be traced back to a collaboration between a foundation piling company and a transportation business. The hub quickly became a logistics pundit, understanding that a consolidation center is a tool to serve the construction site, rather than a separate entity.
Despite the initial doubts about adding an extra step into the construction process, Bouwhub Amsterdam has proven its worth. Each project at the hub is overseen by an expert, reducing 'firefighting' at the site and increasing overall satisfaction among all parties involved.
Big construction companies often have logistics as internal "side projects," misunderstanding the hub's purpose and its value for the city. Arslan admits that conservatism or lack of understanding of a hub's purpose and value has prevented some companies from adopting Bouwhub Amsterdam's external logistics solution.
Nevertheless, Bouwhub Amsterdam is a private company, not subsidized by the city of Amsterdam or the port. This independence allows it to focus on its mission, making it an essential player in Amsterdam's construction industry.
While the specifics of how Omer Arslan transformed a fallow open space into a profitable construction logistics hub remain undocumented, his decision to leave his previous job and take on this new challenge seems to have been a wise one. The construction industry in Amsterdam, and beyond, is undoubtedly benefiting from his vision and leadership.
- Omer Arslan, with a background in process technology and sustainable living, emphasizes the importance of data-and-cloud-computing and IT in streamlining the construction process at Bouwhub Amsterdam, a for-profit construction consolidation center in Amsterdam.
- The home-and-garden space of Bouwhub Amsterdam, initially a fallow open space of 8,000 square meters in the city's port, has been transformed by Arslan into a bustling logistics hub, serving as a tool for the construction site rather than a separate entity.
- Despite initial resistance from traditional construction companies, Bouwhub Amsterdam, as a business model, has proven its worth by reducing 'firefighting' at construction sites, increasing overall satisfaction among all parties involved, and becoming an essential player in Amsterdam's construction industry.
- As a private, unsubsidized company, Bouwhub Amsterdam focuses on its mission of taking lorries off the streets and streamlining the construction process, playing a pivotal role in promoting sustainable living in the manufacturing and finance sectors of Amsterdam's lifestyle.
