Volkswagen Group UK has invested £1 million in new racking at its Midlands-based National Distribution Centre, which is operated by TNT Logistics.
Extra racking covering more than 10,000 m2 has been installed at the national parts centre in Dordon. The racking, which houses large panels, bumpers and other bigger items, adds 5,180 product locations to the facility – bringing the total to 193,500 locations.
According to Neil Crossthwaite, managing director TNT Logistics UK, the extra racking has been part of the plan ever since the 64,000 m2 centre was opened three years ago. “The only change is that we expected to install this racking in 2007, but sales of Volkswagen, Seat, Audi and Skoda vehicles in the UK have grown so rapidly, that we needed to add it now.”
TNT Logistics and the Volkswagen Group have worked in partnership for almost twenty years. The purpose-built national parts centre opened in early 2002 to replace the warehousing operations that had been spread over seven locations in Milton Keynes.
The Dordon facility operates 24 hours a day, six days a week, ensuring that orders placed by 19h00 are delivered to dealers by 09h00 the following morning.
Crossthwaite said that the twenty-year relationship with the Volkswagen Group in the UK is a partnership in every sense of the word. “We have continued to challenge each other to find better ways of working – to ensure that both our businesses grow and we provide the best possible service for Volkswagen Group’s customers.”
