The Slovak industrial real estate market is currently showing higher vacancy than the Czech market. How do you see it? 

 

In our view, Slovakia – and to some extent the Czech Republic – is going through a correction after a period of heightened demand during Covid and immediately afterwards. At that time, companies were leasing space on a large scale, often beyond their needs, and are now optimising as leases come up for renewal. At the same time, we are seeing strong momentum for new leases – inbounds and negotiations are up – so following the correction we’re now seeing a rebalancing that should offset the downside. For companies looking for space right now, this is good window to choose premium spaces not otherwise available at full occupancy. 

 

What makes Senec particularly interesting in this context? 

 

Senec is located in one of the largest logistics hubs in Central Europe. The park is situated just 600 metres from the D1/E75 motorway exit, twenty kilometres from Bratislava and its airport. This provides excellent access to Vienna, Brno and Budapest. It is a long-established and time-tested location: there is a bus stop directly within the site, the town of Senec with full amenities is just around the corner, and so is Bratislava. We currently have available capacity in several halls ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 sqm. Such a favourable combination – a prime location, modern buildings and available space – is rare in any cycle. 

 

GLP is now operating under the Marq Logistics brand. What does that mean for tenants? 

 

Marq is not a new company or entity – it is a unified brand to deliver the scale, expertise and integrated logistics real estate capabilities of Ares’ global logistics real estate platform to its tenants globally as a landlord of choice. We operate as part of a global platform, not as a local player. In practice, there are no material changes in the way that our existing logistics team members are working with our clients and brokers globally, and our logistics and industrial parks continue to operate without change. However, we are rolling out the Marq brand and visual identity across marketing collateral and physical property signage that formerly carried the Ares Industrial Management or GLP brands.  

 

What technologies can tenants find in the park? 

 

Senec is equipped to the latest technological standards. Our newest buildings are BREEAM “Excellent” certified. They feature an advanced management system and consumption monitoring through the Unipi and Loxone platforms. Tenants can see exactly how much energy, water and other utilities they consume, and everything is remotely metered. The lighting is fully LED, with automatic motion sensors and a track system that allows easy layout adjustments. Heating is provided by gas-fired dark radiant heaters, which are highly economical. The roofs feature an above-standard number of skylights, the buildings are well insulated, and all gates are automated. This is our standard, which we have found tenants to appreciate because it typically reduces their operating costs. 

 

And what about the technical parameters of the halls themselves? 

 

The clear internal height of the halls reaches 10 metres. The standard floor load capacity is 6.5 tonnes per square metre, while the load capacity per racking leg is 7 tonnes. In Buildings E and B, the floor load capacity is 8 tonnes per square metre and up to 31 tonnes per racking leg. These are above-standard parameters that allow for heavier manufacturing operations or multi-level mezzanine systems for e-commerce distribution in particular. 

 

The building also offers a powerful automatic ESFR sprinkler system. Specifically, Building D is equipped with a K360 sprinkler system, which is ideal for storing tyres and other high-risk goods – this is a parameter that companies with higher fire safety requirements will find especially compelling. 

 

In addition, Building D offers 8,000 sqm of warehouse space and 320 sqm of modern office space under one roof, so a company can have both warehouse and administration together. We also have a high ratio of loading doors per thousand square metres, which is key to fast goods turnover. 

 

Who are the premises in Senec ideal for? 

 

We believe the premises are suitable for a broad spectrum of customers. Traditional logistics and distribution are the foundation – the halls are primarily designed for that and are ready for use without modifications. But we offer more than that. Today, components for the aviation industry are manufactured in Senec, food distribution operates here, as does e-commerce fulfilment. Thanks to the reinforced floors, we can install mezzanines for distribution centres. We can also build ADR storage for hazardous materials, tailoring them according to their type and classification. In short, the park is multifunctional and has been operating that way for many years. 

 

How quickly can you customise the premises? 

 

It depends on the scope, but generally speaking, we are highly agile. Building standard partition walls can take anywhere from a few weeks to roughly three months. It depends on the specific nature of the modifications, their scope and the related permitting processes. We have experience with this and do it frequently enough. We even have halls with sealed loading doors that we can activate and thus add additional loading docks, which further increases turnover speed. 

 

Building ADR storage is more time-consuming because of the approval process, but we can handle that as well. The minimum leasable area is 3,000 sqm, so we are open even to smaller companies with growth potential. 

 

Do you have any specific examples of companies that have grown in the park? 

 

We have a track record of scaling our offering according to clients’ needs. There are tenants who started with us on three thousand square metres and today operate many times larger areas – one of them has grown from a small company into one of the most significant distributors on the Slovak market. Another logistics operator has been with us for more than fifteen years, which we believe is a testament to the quality of our service and proposition. Senec is designed with customers’ growth ambitions in mind – they can start small and grow gradually without having to relocate elsewhere. 

 

How important is the quality of property management today compared with location or price alone? 

 

Location typically attracts customers, but quality property management is what tends to retain them. Today, tenants expect the owner to respond quickly and professionally, whether it is a technical fault, the need to expand space, or an infrastructure adjustment. We have our own property management team on the ground, which helps us to move with speed and an understanding of our customers’ differentiated needs. At the same time, we use a system for communication with property management that makes the entire process of reporting and resolving requests and complaints more efficient. We are not an anonymous entity with a call centre in another country. It is this partnership-based, client-oriented approach that tenants greatly appreciate. 

 

If you had to give companies looking for space in Central Europe one reason to take a look at Senec, what would it be? 

 

We believe Senec is a compelling park that combines a rare suite of features not easily found elsewhere. These include: a prime logistics location in the heart of Central Europe, modern buildings with above-standard technical equipment, flexible subdivision from 3,000 to 20,000 sqm, the ability to accommodate manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce, and quality property management with a client-oriented approach that is now just as important to tenants as the location itself. We recommend that interested parties contact us at the earliest opportunity given the uniqueness of what’s being offered.  

 

Contact for companies interested in space at the Marq logistics park in Bratislava Senec, formerly GLP: 

Alice Bílková, Vice President, Real Estate Asset Management – [email protected], +420 608 434 215