Liebherr, Newport News, Virginia, has recently announced several developments that it says are helping to shape its global, local and regional spare parts distribution and logistics.
The company says its expansions will support Liebherr’s rapid growth and exceed customer-service expectations around the world.
Several positive developments that have a strong impact in the fulfillment and distribution of earthmoving Liebherr spare parts globally and within the United States have been announced in the last months by the Liebherr Group, including:
In October 2014, the Liebherr Group gave a glimpse into the progress of its new spare parts and logistics center in Kirchdorf, Germany. The state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to begin operations in early 2015 and is expected to serve as its global logistics hub for earthmoving spare parts, the company says. The investment value for the first stage of construction is in excess of $143 million and covers an area more than 505,000 square feet. A large part of the investment has gone into implementing highly automated warehouse equipment and software that will enable the logistics center to employ leading-edge performance standards, the company says. The new warehouse solutions will allow the group to handle higher volumes of spare parts, reduce turnaround times and guarantee order accuracy for Liebherr customers around the world, according to the company.
Additionally, the Liebherr Group is continuing a significant investment in building improvements, machinery, tools and infrastructure to expand the factory and enhance the warehouse facility at its Newport News location. These renovations are part of a $45.4 million investment, according to the company. The Newport News location serves as the headquarters and central warehouse for the Liebherr Mining Division as well as for four other operating Liebherr companies, including Liebherr Construction Equipment Co. Major warehouse overhauls include the implementation of a sophisticated warehouse management system (WMS). A wide range of process-improvement initiatives consist of a new racking system, adding additional locations and increased load-bearing capability; more than 100,000 square feet of new epoxy floor to facilitate the heavy traffic and movement of material; and eight new additional loading docks to speed up the traffic and help with the flow of trucks loading and unloading materials at the facility.
“The new WMS offers a multitude of functions that will optimize the overall logistics and support the daily operations of the facility… it will provide a transparent work flow and enhance the visibility of the activities at each of the warehouse terminals; from receiving thru shipping, in addition to providing inventory accuracy.” says Martin Seitz, WMS project coordinator at Liebherr Mining Equipment Co.
In addition, Liebherr Construction Equipment Co., responsible for the sales and distribution of the full line of Liebherr earthmoving and material handling equipment in the U.S., announced the opening of a new spare parts facility located in Visalia, California. The depot is expected to begin operations in early 2015. The facility will support western U.S. distribution with localized parts warehousing. The National Parts Distribution Center in Newport News, along with its new distribution center in California, will help expedite parts orders, improve operational efficiency and minimize transit time while increasing customer support, according to the company.
“The opening of the new spare parts and logistics center in Germany along with the expansion and overhaul of our Newport News operations, and the opening of the parts depot in the western United States, is part of Liebherr’s ongoing commitment to better serve our customers not just throughout the world but also throughout the United States. This represents a significant step forward in our customer support,” says Peter Mayr, president of Liebherr Construction Equipment Co.
Mayr adds, “We continue to invest in our operations to ensure we provide our dealer network and customers with the exceptional support they expect from Liebherr.”
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