LIXIL, maker of water and housing products, today opened its new distribution centre for GROHE brand products in Porta Westfalica, Germany. The new facility is equipped with state-of-the-art warehousing technology to further improve the efficiency and throughput capacity for the distribution of GROHE sanitary systems.
“We are delighted about the addition of the new distribution centre to our Porta Westfalica site. Complementing production with top-notch logistics operations we are now optimally equipped for the future,” said Jonas Brennwald, Leader LIXIL EMENA.
Shorter distances, modern warehousing facilities
The new building is located next to the existing logistics centre that was built in 1994 but is almost four times larger with around 29,500 square meters of floor space. The former distribution centre will be used as additional production space in the future.
“One of the main advantages of the new distribution centre is its proximity to the production plant. Our extremely high throughput volume meant that we had to use several external warehouses in the region. Now the new building is finished the transfer between sites is no longer necessary. At the same time, we can convert the old building into an additional production area,” explained Jörg Vogeley, Plant Manager at the LIXIL Competence Centre for GROHE sanitary technology in Porta Westfalica.
The modern distribution centre has three hall sections and was specifically designed to handle GROHE products. Further expansion phases are planned. The new racking systems and conveyor technology, including a fully automated pallet transportation system and state-of-the-art software, ensure better efficiency.
“Thanks to the new warehouse technology we can respond to customer needs even more flexibly, for example by making smaller batch sizes and short-notice shipments possible,” said Sebastian Weber, Leader Supply Chain, LIXIL EMENA.
“The new distribution centre also provides our employees with a modern work environment. Our team of logistics specialists benefits from optimised workflows that allow them to apply their know-how to the full.”
GROHE logistics operations are all managed in-house. The new facility will create around 40 new full-time jobs.
