Sponda Plc Press release 24 November 2008 at 13:50 Sponda's buildings in Vuosaari Harbour ready for customers As shipping services start up at Vuosaari Harbour on Monday 24 November 2008, business also gets underway at real estate company Sponda's PortGate logistics complex. Vuosaari Harbour is the biggest property development project for Sponda and the largest logistical building project in the whole of Finland. Sponda's projects have progressed according to plan and the first phase projects were completed on schedule in time for the opening of the harbour. The PortGate logistics complex being built by Sponda comprises the 18,000 square metre Gate Centre and the 130,000 square metre logistics area, of which 70,000 square metres of premises were completed in the first phase. The Gate Centre consists of a 13-storey office block (Gatehouse), which serves as a landmark for the harbour, parking facilities and a passenger terminal. Sponda is also building in the area the Vuosaari Service Center, which provides services for companies operating in the harbour and comprises a building with office and personnel facilities and a maintenance and repair building. Services and offices in the Gate Centre The Gate Centre office building houses the offices and customer service areas of organizations working in the harbour, such as customs and harbour operators, as well as restaurant and hospitality areas. The building provides those working in the harbour not only with modern office premises but also with various services supporting the business of the companies, such as lobby, reception and restaurant services. On the uppermost layer of the Gatehouse opens a beautiful view over the sea, and from the terrace can be seen the ships arriving the port. One of the service providers in the Gate Centre is luncheon restaurant proprietor Jaakko Karujärvi. He will move his luncheon restaurant and catering business from the site canteen, where it has operated during the construction of the harbour, into service premises on the ground floor of the PortGate office building. “Moving into new premises that are specifically designed for the restaurant business simplifies our daily work enormously. Smart premises also make it easier to recruit personnel, which are an important resource for us,” states Jaakko Karujärvi, managing director of Liha-Matti Oy. “The start-up of harbour operations means that our customer base will change, and instead of serving construction workers we will be meeting the needs of the companies operating in the harbour and their personnel. What we provide remains unchanged, but the flexible design of the premises also opens up opportunities for us to develop our business and services." Location in harbour saves costs and time Having logistics premises in the harbour benefits especially import and export companies whose goods have a rapid turnover and who have goods flows mainly to southern Finland. The location of the logistics complex in the harbour area eliminates the need for buffer transport to more remotely located central warehouses, cutting transport costs and saving time. Reducing unnecessary transport also contributes to conserving the environment. The PortGate logistics area premises are suitable both for longer-term storage and for the rapid through-flow of goods. The 35 hectare logistics area comprises rows of flow-through terminals and warehouses interspaced by traffic zones. Containers can be transported by harbour vehicles direct from ship to terminal for further processing. The goods out zone is smoothly linked to the road network in the harbour centre and to the harbour railway, and a dual carriageway gives rapid road access to the rest of Finland. The logistics buildings are designed around 5500 square metre blocks, which can be combined or divided and fitted out to different standards, so that companies can lease premises that meet their specific needs. SA-TU Logistics Oy, a provider of a wide range of logistics services, made the move to Vuosaari Harbour without any problems. The company is moving its warehouse and terminal services to the PortGate logistics area and its customer service and offices to the Gate Centre office building before the opening of the harbour. "During the past two months we have signed major contracts with new customers who wish to process or store their goods cost-effectively in the harbour logistics area. Our staff are also very happy to move out of the old premises in the West Harbour into completely new office and warehouse premises," states Niko Plith, managing director of SA-TU Logistics Oy. Sponda Plc Further information: Perttu Hokkanen, Account Manager, tel. +358 400-896 784 Sponda Plc is a real estate company specializing in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland and in Russia. Sponda's business concept is to own, lease and develop office, retail and logistics properties into environments that promote the business success of its clients. Sponda's investment properties have a fair value of approximately EUR 2.9 billion euros and a leasable area of around 1.4 million m².