On March 12, the official opening of the new MAN Logistics Center took place in Salzgitter, Germany. From here, shipments of spare parts for trucks, buses, and engines will be carried out efficiently and effectively every day – initially to over 450 receiving points in five countries.
– Our customers expect their MAN trucks and MAN and NEOPLAN buses to be ready for operation 24 hours a day. For us, this means that if necessary, we must quickly and efficiently deliver the required spare parts anywhere in the world where more than a million of our commercial vehicles are in operation. Thanks to the new Logistics Center in Salzgitter, we will be able to better meet this challenge in the future – said Lars Wrebo, member of the Executive Board responsible for production and logistics at MAN Truck & Bus AG.
The construction of the new Logistics Center, covering an area of 188,000 sqm in the immediate vicinity of the MAN production plant, took only one year. The modern logistics building, which has the potential for further expansion and a hall area of 52,000 sqm, includes approximately 111,000 storage locations for spare parts. A special feature of the hall, which is 400 m long, 125 m wide, and 13.5 m high, is the complete absence of any partition walls. Offices and social rooms are located on a mezzanine, and employees move around the building using a special platform (the “skywalk”). Material and personnel flows are largely separated from each other, which is particularly beneficial from the perspective of employee safety. Spare parts are moved using long sets of transport carts, while small parts are transported to their destinations largely automatically. The investment in the construction of the new Logistics Center amounted to 60 million euros.
– This is a clear sign that Salzgitter will remain our industrial hub – believes Lars Wrebo. – The new Logistics Center is another permanent pillar for the MAN site in Salzgitter. Spare parts supply is not as exposed to economic fluctuations, and the efficient logistics associated with it is becoming increasingly important in the face of fierce competition between commercial vehicle manufacturers.