Kesko has chosen KNAPP to automate the first phase of a new central warehouse for its hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) business in Nurmijärvi, Finland — a facility the Finnish retailer and wholesaler expects to run in phases through 2029 and 2030.

Construction started at the beginning of 2026. The site will function as the central distribution point for Kesko's foodservice arm, replacing manual handling with a fully integrated automation stack. The scope covers automated pallet handling, high-bay storage, shuttle-based storage and goods-to-person picking for smaller items — a configuration that points squarely at the mixed-pallet, high-SKU profile typical of foodservice distribution to hotels, restaurants and caterers.

KNAPP says the system is designed to adapt to future changes and growing volumes, a claim that matters commercially: foodservice demand in the Nordics has been volatile since the pandemic, and retailers are wary of locking capital into fixed automation that cannot flex with order profiles. For Kesko, the goods-to-person element targets the labour question directly. Warehouse labour in Finland is scarce and expensive, and picking small items manually is the most labour-intensive step in foodservice fulfilment.

Pekka Tala, development director at Kesko, framed the investment as a decades-long bet rather than a tactical upgrade. "We are building an automation solution designed to serve our business for decades to come," he said. "That is why it was important for us to find a solution that not only meets today's needs, but also enables us to develop our operations in the future."

The timeline is long. Detailed planning of the automation system begins now, installation is scheduled to start in 2028, and the logistics centre becomes operational in phases during 2029 and 2030. That phasing suggests Kesko intends to keep existing foodservice distribution running while capacity migrates to Nurmijärvi — a common approach for wholesalers who cannot afford a gap in chilled and ambient supply to restaurant customers.

For KNAPP, the win adds a second major Nordic reference in foodservice wholesale automation and reinforces the Austrian supplier's position in a market where shuttle and goods-to-person systems are becoming the default specification for new-build central warehouses. Competition for these contracts increasingly turns on scalability promises as much as throughput numbers, since clients sign on the basis of decade-plus horizons.

For shippers and 3PLs watching the Finnish market, the Nurmijärvi project signals continued consolidation of foodservice volume into fewer, larger, highly automated nodes. Suppliers to Kesko's HoReCa business should expect tighter delivery windows and stricter pallet and labelling standards as goods-to-person systems demand cleaner inbound data than manual warehouses tolerate.

The project also fits a broader pattern: European grocery and foodservice wholesalers, facing structural labour shortages and thin margins, are pushing automation into mid-sized markets such as Finland that historically relied on conventional handling. Kesko's willingness to commit to a phased buildout through 2030 indicates confidence that foodservice volumes will support the capacity — and that automation economics, not peak-season improvisation, will define competitive cost-to-serve in Nordic distribution over the next decade.