Warehousing and distribution companies, also known as freight forwarding and logistics companies, have very particular requirements in terms of property and location.

Central to their activity is ready access to high quality roads. For this reason these companies have been quick to acquire sites along the M50 corridor and other primary routes around Dublin.

This allows them to get trans-shipments quickly into and out of their warehouses.

The market separates into two segments. There are the very large purpose built facilities of 50,000 sq ft and up, complete with very high tech automated placement and picking equipment.

There are also the more traditional mid-range 20,000 to 40,000 sq ft warehousing units which typically have a low level of specialised product handling equipment and may have significantly lower eaves.

The former group tend to be "high bay" units with 30 to 50 feet high eaves which allow high rise stacking of products on specialised racks, either palletised or stored in standard-sized containers.

The most advanced use computers to keep tabs on the location and quantity of products.

Placement and retrieval could be by "hand" using high reach forklifts or an automated system which runs along a rail and positions itself by computer command.

The big warehousing facilities would have a range of loading and unloading options. These include side loading by forklift and ground level loading.

The big companies also require large yards of at least 30 m so that trucks and lorries can be manoeuvred into loading bay positions without having to shuffle them about.

Large and small warehousing units would also depend on "dock levellers", loading decks which can be adjusted up and down so that a forklift can actually drive directly into the back of a large container truck.

The typical warehousing equation holds that each dock leveller supports about 10,000 sq ft of warehousing space.

The market splits in a different way over owned versus leased space. Indigenous companies typically own their warehouses and multinational operators tend to lease, although this is not a universal approach.

Build costs for a facility with a category one floor would range from £75 to £90 (€95-€114) per sq ft with a current median of about £80 (€101). Rental costs range from £6.50 to £8.50 (€8.25-€10.79) per sq ft with typical values falling between £7 and £8 (€8.89-€10.16) per sq ft.

Properties are typically supplied in "shell" form with the owner or tenant completing a fit-out depending on their particular market and company strategy.

The big companies would invest heavily in automated placement and picking facilities to control both handling time and labour costs.

There are many other variables however such as the need for racking, supplementary lighting or heating and even water sprinklers.

Whatever the warehousing configuration, these units would also include an office content.

The typical proportion calls for 10 per cent to 15 per cent of office space but in some units this can reach 25 per cent if the distribution activity is labour intensive.

Lands along primary routes are always sought for warehousing and distribution facilities and the growth of motorways has added a new dimension to this.

Many companies choose high profile sites that help support their own permanent corporate advertising, seen by commuters using the motorway.

There are also many industrial estates that cater in particular for this type of enterprise. Rosemount and Ballycoolin in Blanchardstown and the Northern Cross Business Park off the N2 in Finglas are examples.

There are now quite a number of big players in this market and the trend is towards consolidation via takeovers.

Some of the largest companies include Walsh Western in the Western Industrial Estate along the M50, Schenker Eurocargo off the Naas Road, Irish Express Cargo at Ballycoolin, and the Musgraves Cash and Carry operation in Fonthill amongst many others.