This state-of-the-art industrial logistics center, entitled “EUROCOPTER Logistics Center” is the first phase of the Helicopter Technology Park project in Donauwrth. This center will be operated by Fiege, a logistics specialist.
On Friday 3rd August, the “EUROCOPTER Logistics Center” was inaugurated at an opening ceremony in Donauwrth by Bert Stegkemper, Executive Vice President Global Supply Chain of the Eurocopter Group, Dr. Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH and Heinz Fiege, Chairman of the Board of Executives of the Fiege Holding etc. Numerous representatives attended this ceremony including Bavarian state authorities, local politicians and members of the Eurocopter Executive Board. This inauguration features an important milestone of Eurocopter’s site development in Donauwrth.
Manfred Wenninger, Eurocopter’s Vice President Supply Chain Services and project manager for logistics, opened the event by outlining the goals of the new logistics hub. From now on, all merchandise to and from Eurocopter’s main German production site, including just-in-time delivery of the production materials, will be coordinated at the new Eurocopter Logistics Center located at the north of the factory premises. The center will use state-of-theart technical processes to service not only the factory itself but also the customers, partners, subsidiaries and maintenance centers. The center is equipped with fully automated high-bay warehouses as well as loading and unloading zones for large lorries. The implementation of the above provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for ensuring a steady increase of the site’s productivity, thus allowing Eurocopter to meet the service requirements of its commercial and military customers.
“Eurocopter’s goal to achieving optimal efficiency and maximum customer satisfaction can only be reached by merging all our processes in a facility offering sufficient room for growth. This is the reason why Eurocopter decided to enter into a partnership with the Fiege Group, a leading international logistics company whose core expertise lies in industrial logistics solutions,” stressed Dr. Wolfgang Schoder at the inauguration ceremony. With a portfolio comprising of not only logistics services as such, but also pre-production, quality insurance, storage of primary materials as well as customs formalities, Fiege will be supporting an essential part of the Eurocopter supply chain in the future.
“This working model will enable us to focus on our core industrial expertise as manufacturers and to devote our efforts in achieving the production ramp-up necessary for optimal customer satisfaction” Schoder added.
The newly built center covers a surface area of more than 19,000 m2 and rises to a height of 18 meters in certain areas. It regroups the activities of 10 decentralized locations previously scattered within and outside of the factory premises. The construction work which lasted 8 months, including access routes linking the center to the factory premises, was completed a month ahead of schedule, making it possible to use this time exclusively for dry-run testing.
The next phase in the construction of the Helicopter Technology Park in Donauwrth will be that of the “Cooperation Center”. The ground-breaking ceremony will take place on September 27. As previously with the Logistics Center, the project planning and implementation will be undertaken by a joint venture between MFRSI Gesellschaft fr Immobilienmanagement GmbH and IKB Projektentwicklung GmbH. The Cooperation Center will cover a surface area of roughly 4,000 m2, thus allowing Eurocopter’s engineering partners, service providers and industrial suppliers to work in perfect coordination and synergy with each other.
About Fiege
The FIEGE Group, based in Greven, Westphalia, is one of Europe’s leading logistics providers. Its particular expertise lies in developing and implementing integrated, holistic logistics systems. The Group employs a workforce of some 21,000 employees worldwide. It has a close-meshed logistical network comprising over 222 company sites and joint business ventures in 18 countries. The Group’s revenues amounted to 1.75 billion euros in 2006. 2.85 million square meters of warehouse and logistics space are testimony to the company’s capabilities.
About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 14,000 people. In 2006, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 3.8 billion euros, orders for 615 new helicopters, and a 52% percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30% percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 17 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 9,800 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,500 customers in 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.
