The KARL-Group from Hengersberg has acquired the distribution centre of WECK glass and packaging GmbH in Alfter near Bonn. The transaction, which took place as part of a sale-and-lease-back procedure, enables WECK to continue operational use of the site at Maarbachstraße / Alter Heerweg, which is located directly on the Bonn city limits. The transaction was concluded less than four weeks after initial contact in February 2026, indicating a swift process.
WECK glass and packaging GmbH will lease back the property long-term, which comprises a total rental area of approximately 19,515 square metres. This area is almost entirely made up of hall and logistics spaces. The site extends over a plot of about 33,900 square metres, which also provides 125 parking spaces. The properties are accessible via ramps, loading bridges and sectional doors and offer direct access to the neighbouring WECK glass factory, which was not part of this divestment.
The location in Alfter offers strategically favourable connections to the regional and national transport network. The site is directly connected to the motorway network of the Cologne/Bonn metropolitan region via federal highway B56, just 300 metres away, as well as motorways A565 and A59, underscoring the logistical importance of the area.
Strategic significance of the transaction
The long-term, value-indexed lease-back ensures the uninterrupted continuation of operational activities at the site. André Karl, Managing Director of the KARL-Group, emphasised that the acquisition continues the company's strategy of buying and structuring real estate. He highlighted that the long-term lease-back creates stable planning certainty and underpins the sustainable quality of the investment. Moreover, the transaction demonstrates that attractive opportunities can be realised even in a challenging market environment, provided all parties act collaboratively, swiftly and with a focus on solutions.
Angermann NRW acted as exclusive broker for this transaction. Patrick Sohns, Managing Partner of Angermann NRW GmbH, explained that the rapid notarisation of the transaction within barely four weeks was due to a financially strong buyer with short decision-making paths, as well as a process geared towards completion from the outset. Paul Rieker, Investment Manager at Angermann NRW, noted that medium-sized companies are increasingly recognising that their property represents a valuable financing instrument. A sale-and-lease-back is thus understood not as a distress sale, but as a strategic decision to tie up capital in the business rather than in the property.
Capital release in medium-sized businesses
This type of transaction reflects a current trend in medium-sized businesses to use operational real estate as a source of capital. In view of rising financing costs and increasing reluctance on the part of banks, owning operational real estate offers an opportunity to free up tied-up capital, which can then be more effectively deployed in day-to-day operations. A long-term, value-indexed lease-back therefore does not turn the sale into a withdrawal, but secures the company's location. For investors, this creates properties with predictable cash flow and a user who has a long-term commitment to the site. Confidentiality was agreed regarding the specific purchase price.
