The STIHL Group is paving the way for further growth, especially in the expanding market for battery-powered products, and is set to operate a new central warehouse in Völklingen (Germany, Saarland). In the future, all STIHL subsidiaries around the world and STIHL dealers, primarily those in Germany, France, and the Benelux countries, will be supplied from Völklingen. STIHL, the garden and power tool manufacturer, will use the new logistics and distribution facility to stock and distribute battery-powered products as well as all equipment produced at the company's plant in Tyrol, Austria. The central warehouse located in the German Saarland region will replace the current warehouse in Strasbourg, which has reached the limits of its capacity as demand for STIHL products continues to grow. Norbert Pick, STIHL Executive Board Member, Marketing and Sales, says: "Our new central warehouse will not only significantly boost our capacities, but also enable us to ensure our customers and markets continue to be well supplied, while also maintaining competitive logistics. This puts us in an ideal position for further growth at the STIHL Group." The new building is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. The central warehouse will be fully operational by January 1, 2023.
A strategic location and ultra-modern equipment
The new central warehouse has a total floor space of 58,000 square meters, making it the STIHL Group's largest warehouse. Given its geographical location within the tri-border region that includes France, Germany and Luxembourg, Völklingen has a number of advantages: First, the site is situated in a central location relative to STIHL's specialist dealers, who can be supplied directly. Second, the central warehouse is located within easy reach of German and French freeways and close to the A620 interstate, which makes for an efficient and flexible supply chain. Dr. Georg Miehler, head of distribution logistics at STIHL, stated: "This new central warehouse will help us to optimize our processes from the moment an order is placed, to the moment it is delivered to our customers. State-of-the-art and ultra-flexible warehouse technology will enable us to meet customer requirements in the best possible way." STIHL Tirol, the Group's Austrian production plant, is also heavily involved in the project, having been tasked with managing the operations of the new central warehouse. "This is a major strategic step that will allow us to meet the continuing strong demand for STIHL products, and also serve our customers even better and even faster," says Dr. Clemens Schaller, General Manager of STIHL Tirol.
The new building will feature state-of-the-art warehouse and order picking technologies, such as automated picking devices and smartwatches that display stock levels and instructions, and will replace conventional hand-held scanners. This technology facilitates ergonomic and flexible working. With a combination of narrow aisle, flow-through, and wide aisle racking systems, the facility is customized to accommodate the goods being stored and provides a high degree of flexibility and ability to adapt to changing conditions. With a total area of 120,000 square meters, the site where the new building is currently under construction also has the possibility to expand the storage space, so that STIHL is equipped to handle future growth and a further increase in sales.
STIHL central warehouse is being constructed by Dietz AG and operated by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics
The STIHL central warehouse in Völklingen is being erected by Dietz AG, Bensheim as investor, and operated by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. STIHL has signed a ten-year contract with Hellmann. Michael Schall, director for strategic logistics projects and the project manager for the new central warehouse at STIHL, is pleased to be working with Hellmann: "Hellmann is a strong partner with many years of expertise who will support us as we continue to grow in the battery-powered business." Volker Sauerborn, COO Contract Logistics at Hellmann, adds: "We are very happy that the STIHL Group has opted for Hellmann as a long-term logistics partner to help implement its growth strategy. The signing of a ten-year contract clearly shows the level of trust STIHL has in us. STIHL and Hellmann are two family-owned companies with very similar values, and I am confident that we can both continue to grow successfully in the years ahead."