For Thalia's omni-channel hub in the gate.ruhr industrial area in Marl, the companies involved, together with builders and craftsmen, celebrated the traditional topping-out ceremony on the afternoon of June 24, just around six months after construction began. The topping-out ceremony, with the raising of the topping-out wreath and the recitation of the topping-out speech, also marks the completion of the shell construction work, according to a press release from Thalia on June 25.
The topping-out ceremony was celebrated in the presence of and with brief speeches by, among others, Werner
Arndt, Mayor of the city of Marl, Hans Walter Klein, Managing Director of the executing construction and service company Goldbeck West GmbH, and Tobias Wittke, Director Technical Planning & Realization at the real estate company ECE Work & Live responsible for the development, planning, and realization.
By the planned commissioning at the beginning of 2026, a commercial and production property of around 56,000 square meters will be built in the Marl industrial park, which in the full development stage of the location will provide jobs for up to 1,000 employees
as well as space for the planned training positions in different professions and entry-level opportunities for dual students.
The property will consist of several high-quality designed hall areas and a multi-story office building and will include modern-designed workplaces, its own canteen, as well as extensive and generously designed social areas. In several development stages, Thalia will establish a variety of different uses and processes there, from goods picking to innovative production technologies. The investment volume amounts to a total of around 100 million euros.
"The shell construction reveals the dimensions
of our new omnichannel hub: Here in Marl, we are realizing a comprehensive innovation location with integrated fulfillment services and state-of-the-art printing automation - creating the basis to further expand our capabilities," said Marco Rebohm, Managing Director Logistics & Supply Chain at Thalia Bücher.
"For Thalia, this location is also a clear commitment to the future of the book trade." The topping-out ceremony thus not only marks another milestone for this major project but is also an occasion for them to express great thanks to all involved partners for their
