Sunday, February 13, 2011

BMW Continue To Develop Freight And Logistics Contracts

Second Announcement in a Week from German Car Makers
Shipping News Feature

GERMANY – After announcing the appointment of Kuehne and Nagel as their chosen partner for distribution of their products in Canada, BMW have awarded fellow German group DB Schenker one of their largest ever logistics contracts with around fifty freight containers a day shipping by rail and ocean freight to South Africa and China.

To handle the project Schenker will set up a new logistics centre in Leipzig, creating about six hundred new jobs and doubling the headcount of staff in Saxony, as the company already has other facilities nearby in Chemnitz and Dresden. BMW is currently building a new production plant in Shenyang and DB Schenker is already involved in the supply chain for that location. Schenker also handles BMW contracts in other countries, such as spare parts supplies in South Africa.

The new logistics centre in the north of Leipzig will have an area of approximately 63,000 square metres and is scheduled to go into operation by the middle of the year. Working with an integrated data communication network, the centre will collect around 8,000 different components, which will then be packed and stowed in containers to match delivery requirements. The centre will also give the sheet metal parts protective treatment for ocean transport through different climate zones.

Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Member of the DB Mobility Logistics AG Management Board for Transportation and Logistics commented:

"We are fully aware of the enormous responsibility that this new order involves. It is one of the largest logistics projects we have ever acquired. Amongst other things, this success can be attributed to our strategy in the sector of contract logistics. We have already served as a reliable partner for the automotive industry and its suppliers in Germany and other countries for decades, this project will enable us to consolidate our position in this key market."

The facility is built by Goodman, an integrated property group that owns, develops and manages industrial and business space across Europe, the United Kingdom and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group invests in business parks, office parks, industrial estates and specialises in the development of warehouse and distribution centres.

Photo:- BMW M1 concept car.