Gebr. Heinemann celebrates 20 years of Hamburg-Allermöhe logistics center
Gebr. Heinemann's Hamburg-Allermöhe logistics center
Travel retailer Gebr. Heinemann is marking the 20th anniversary of its logistics center in Hamburg-Allermöhe, which continues to form a central part of the company's supply chain.
The center has been supplemented since 2014 by another highly automated logistics center in Erlensee near Frankfurt, as well as regional warehouses in Norway, Miami and Sydney, among others.
The central logistics center in Allermöhe began operations on May 19, 2003, after two and a half years of construction. The foundation of the 16,000 square meter space is anchored to 1,000 piles driven to a depth of up to 12 meters. It was a milestone for Gebr. Heinemann, as it was the first time the company became the owner of a self-built warehouse property outside the free port, with the largest investment in the company's history. Through the gradual relocation of all product groups to Allermöhe, the previously used storage locations are dissolved.
Only three years later, the company inaugurated the extension of a high-bay warehouse and then in 2014, an additional office space. This means an additional 18,000 pallet storage spaces and 36,000 tray storage spaces: an extension of the existing storage space by 66 percent. This created the space and conditions to meet the growing demands of the travel retail market.
“The truly outstanding component of the success of our logistics center is the people who make up the heart of Allermöhe," says Martin Borscheid, Director Logistics. “Of the 350 people employed here today, 67 have been with us from the beginning, and many have been part of the Heinemann family for 20 years or more. The experienced teams are optimally complemented by new employees for our joint path into the future. Qualified specialists are in demand because although processes are continuously improved, specialist knowledge is necessary to ensure the often difficult handling of goods. Our logistics is particularly unique in the global travel market because nowhere else can you get everything from a single source, from the perfectly stored cigar to a €45,000 whiskey and an elegant Bulgari ring.”
Just like the Gebr. Heinemann supply chain as a whole, the logistics center is constantly being improved – with innovative technical solutions and modern ergonomic workspaces.
“The retrofit approach, this means the continuous modernization and updating of existing plants and equipment, ensures that the systems are always state-of-the-art and equipped with intelligent solutions for the challenges of the future. It is crucial to carry out the replacement without disrupting ongoing operations,” says Borscheid. Innovative solutions currently being implemented include Google Glasses, a picking glass with an attached finger scanner.
“We want to be carbon neutral by 2030,” says Inken Callsen, Vice President Supply Chain. “In April, we invited our transport partners to a Sustainability Summit to find solutions to reduce CO2 emissions together. We have already achieved a lot and were able to reduce emissions by nine percent in 2022 compared to 2019. This year, we aim to achieve another six percent reduction in order to reach our goal of 25 percent savings in 2024 compared to 2019.”
Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Dirk Schneider is looking to the future as well. “We must continue to meet the high demands on logistics with regards to performance, sustainability, and cost efficiency. Equally important is ensuring that we can respond flexibly to capacity adjustments and resilience requirements at any time.”
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