The new organisational structure introduced by MEC METRO-ECE last year for the technical management of the centres in its management is having an impact, the company said today.
Since 2018, MEC has employed eight Technical Managers to improve the ongoing technical support of the sites. Five of them were newly hires.
Technical Property Management (TPM) was regrouped and its tasks restructured in order to relieve owners of the burden of implementing projects. The TPM division, with its experienced project managers, now also offers MEC's customers general planning services for extensive construction projects.
One example of such a measure is the redesign of the former DIY store building in conjunction with a comprehensive refurbishment at TEC Erfurt, which is managed by MEC.
"As a customer-oriented company, we have responded to the demand that our customers have placed on us," said MEC CFO Sebastian Kienert.
MEC's customers have taken advantage of the expanded range of services. "We were already able to increase the volume of orders by 73% in the year in which the new organisational measures were introduced. For 2019, we expect another double-digit increase," he said
MEC is now offering everything from a single source, from procurement of building rights to project management and project leadership to warranty tracking. In their capacity as project leaders, three MEC Technical Property Managers take care of the handling of construction projects with an order volume of approximately €100,000 or more. This includes, for example, complex rented area conversions, comprehensive modernisations of technical facilities, centre extensions and refurbishments.
The AVA department, which was newly established last year, was also expanded in terms of personnel. A team trained in both technical and commercial aspects monitors compliance with customer-specific procurement guidelines, handles the awarding of contracts and invoicing with service providers and thus supports the implementation of the numerous maintenance and investment measures.
RPA Perspective From January 1st 2019, MEC METRO-ECE Center Management also took over the complete commercial and technical management of the StadtCenter Düren. The contract came from Union Investment, which has held the centre in the portfolio of its open-ended public real estate fund UniImmo: Germany since January 2017.
As the national market leader in this segment, MEC METRO-ECE Center Management is currently responsible for more than 55 retail parks in Germany. The market value of the properties managed by MEC (assets under management) currently amounts to approximately €3.5 billion.
At the centres, approximately 1,150 tenants generate a yearly turnover of around €3.2 billion over an area of more than 1.7 million sq m.
METRO GROUP operates at more than 2,000 locations in 29 countries and employs some 220,000 people. The performance of METRO GROUP is based on METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry, the international leader in the self-service wholesale trade; Media Markt and Saturn, the European market leader in consumer electronics retailing; and Real hypermarkets.
ECE has been developing, building, leasing, and managing shopping centres since 1965. The company is European market leader for shopping centres, with about 195 shopping centres under management (more than 50 of which are managed by MEC METRO-ECE Centermanagement) and is active in 11 countries.
On an overall sales area of around 7m sq m, more than 19,500 retail tenants generate approximately €23 billion in annual sales combined. Among these centres are Milaneo in Stuttgart, Aquis Plaza in Aachen, Promenaden at Leipzig Central Station, and Marmara Park in Istanbul.
