Modern logistics and industrial park boosts new business opportunities and modal shift

Plattling / Stephansposching, 14 October 2025 – At the end of 2023, after more than 40 years of operation in the Deggendorf region, the paper mill in Plattling permanently closed its factory gates. In a competitive bidding process, the Finnish paper company UPM sold the approximately 52-hectare site, which spans the municipalities of Plattling and Stephansposching. The winning bid was submitted by Bayernhafen GmbH & Co. KG, which is now the new owner of the site, including its various buildings and rail facilities. Plans are underway to develop a modern logistics and industrial park.

bayernhafen has until now operated locations in Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau. With the acquisition of the paper mill, the company is expanding its presence in Bavaria to seven locations. The Free State of Bavaria remains the sole shareholder of Bayernhafen GmbH & Co. KG, a privately organised company established in 2005 following the legal restructuring of the Bavarian State Port Authority.

Bavaria’s Minister of Construction and Transport, Christian Bernreiter, welcomed the successful transaction: “Through the acquisition of the Plattling paper mill site, we have reached a significant milestone. We are preventing a long-term vacancy and can leverage the site’s excellent connections as an additional terminal for all potential users, thereby supporting combined transport and boosting the shift of freight from road to rail. Equally important, by opening the site to new businesses, we are creating a new logistics hub in Lower Bavaria.”

Bernd Sibler, Regional Administrator for Deggendorf, added: “It pains me to pass daily by a site so important to our region that has been inactive for almost two years. I am pleased that new life will be breathed into this location, with people returning to work and, above all, a sustainable concept for its use in place. I trust bayernhafen, a reputable and established company, to manage the site responsibly and with a forward-looking approach.”

Hans Schmalhofer, Mayor of Plattling: “For Plattling as a regional employment hub, it is great news that the 52-hectare site of the former paper mill is being put back into use. With bayernhafen, we have found a highly interesting investor with a broad approach. In addition to logistics companies, bayernhafen also plans to develop production-oriented businesses on the site, for which accessibility by road and rail is particularly important. I am confident that this 52-hectare site will result in the creation of attractive jobs for the entire region.”

Jutta Staudinger, Mayor of Stephansposching, commented: “The announcement today of the sale ends a long period of uncertainty. It is now clear that progress will continue on the former UPM site, which spans the municipalities of Plattling and Stephansposching. bayernhafen, as the new owner, has promising plans for the site. From our municipality’s perspective, we wish the new owner every success and a capable hand for the benefit of all. During the roughly two-and-a-half-year transition, we found the collaboration constructive, focused, and marked by clear, transparent communication. I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Gerhard Mayer and his UPM team, as well as Minister Christian Bernreiter, Regional Administrator Bernd Sibler, and Mayor Hans Schmalhofer for their excellent cooperation.”

Gunnar Eberhardt, Executive Vice President of UPM Communication Papers, said: “As a power plant owner and operator, we remain connected to Plattling. The site has excellent energy infrastructure, and our employees possess the specialist knowledge to ensure the local supply of goods and services while contributing to the stability and security of regional energy networks. We followed a careful process to ensure responsible and future-proof reuse of the site, creating jobs and securing its long-term future. We are pleased to have found in bayernhafen a professional partner who will develop our former site further.”

“We look forward to developing and operating an additional bayernhafen location on the site of the former paper mill,” says Joachim Zimmermann, the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen. “bayernhafen locations are logistics hubs, engines for employment, and Bavaria’s number one intermodal transition zone. We take a long-term approach to investment in infrastructure and land, unlocking new value-creation opportunities with our customers. We intend to continue this success story at the new site by developing a modern logistics and industrial park: the bayernhafen Infra-Park Plattling Stephansposching.” At the new location, bayernhafen will provide local, national and international customers and partners from industry, transport and logistics with opportunities to shift more freight on to rail as well as sites to establish business operations. The redevelopment creates new opportunities for attracting companies without consuming additional land.

“The focus at the new InfraPark will be even more on logistics-intensive industry and production compared with the current bayernhafen locations,” adds Joachim Zimmermann. “This bimodal location – the first bayernhafen location that is not directly connected to inland waterway – will leverage the infrastructure advantages of rail, road and energy. Its neutrality ensures non-discriminatory (i.e. non-exclusive) access to transport infrastructure for the companies operating from our ports as well as for industry at large, while energy-intensive companies will also find suitable conditions.”

As a landowner, bayernhafen is committed to long-term, sustainable development. Across its locations in Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau, companies from production, transport, storage, logistics and services operate on a total of 800 hectares. Home to 400 companies, bayernhafen’s locations are reliable logistics hubs that ensure the supply of goods and services to industry and the public and serve as a gateway to the world for domestic production. A recent survey shows that these companies guarantee around 16,000 jobs. Through strategic land management, bayernhafen prepares sites for current and future uses, developing attractive industrial and logistics sites that deliver excellent infrastructure to the companies operating from the ports. A key part of the business model is optimising land availability through continuous revitalisation and conversion, as seen in Aschaffenburg following the closure of the coal power plant.