New logistics concept for Husqvarna CEE network ... - Geis Group

logiSticS
reorganized
T
he Husqvarna brand and its subsidiary company
Gardena have long been familiar to gardening
enthusiasts and professional landscape
designers. And no wonder: The Swedish manufacturer
is the world‘s largest manufacturer of lawnmowers,
chainsaws, portable petrol-driven gardening
equipment, watering systems and gardening tools.
since The end of lasT year Geis has been implementing
a new central warehouse concept for Husqvarna
in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Instead of
having several small regional warehouses, Geis now
concentrates Husqvarna product handling for the
Czech Republic and Slovakia in Ostrava in the east of
the Czech Republic.
The two companies know each other well: „We have
worked for Husqvarna at Bad Neustadt/Salz for many
years. We also worked for Husqvarna‘ subsidiary Gardena
in the Czech town of Rajhrad near Brno before
the central warehouse concept was implemented“,
says Erik Lassen, Managing Director of Geis Industrie-Service
GmbH. „In the autumn of 2009, the
Gardena products warehouse and the two Husqvarna
products warehouses in Prague and the Slovakian
town of Liptovský Mikulás were closed and transferred
to Ostrava.“
Geis now offers Husqvarna a complete package of logistical
services from a single source. It encompasses
warehousing for finished goods and spare parts, as well
as their entire distribution in the Czech Republic and
Slovakia – including general and parcel shipments.“
To implemenT its central warehouse solution, Geis
has leased part of a newly-constructed logistics park
in Ostrava. „The warehouse logistics for the Czech
Republic and Slovakia are currently managed on an
area covering 7,000 square metres“, explains Geis
Project Manager Pavel Křížek. „We have 6,000 shelf
pallet spaces in our shelf storage facility for storing
smaller products, which can encompass everything
from rose shears to chainsaws. Larger products
such as garden tractors, lawnmowers and scythes in
contrast are stored in blocks.“ These products take
up a lot of space. We currently store around 800
Husqvarna tractors alone in Ostrava, and during the
course of the season, this number is set to increase
even further.
Did you know?
The Husqvarna logo shows
the barrel of a gun seen
from the front. The reason:
The company was established
in Sweden in 1689 as a
manufacturer of muskets.
Husqvarna is accordingly one
of the oldest industrial
companies in the world.
After manufacturing sewing
machines, household
appliances, bicycles and
motorcycles, the company
today is the world‘s largest
producer of outdoor
power products. With the
Gardena brand, Husqvarna
is also Europe‘s number
one company for watering
systems.
logiSticS ServiceS | 13
Garden and forestry equipment manufacturer Husqvarna Group has reorganized its logistics in the
Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company‘s logistics partner is now the Geis Group, which is
successfully implementing a central warehouse concept.
www.husqvarna.com
Photos: Husqvarna
Close to where these large items of equipment are
kept, Geis stores the spare parts for Husqvarna products.
The warehouse holds up to 40,000 different
parts, ranging from small screws to replacement motors
for garden tractors. In order to make optimal
use of and be able to manage these 40,000 different
sections, Geis uses the LFS warehouse logistics system,
which is linked via interfaces to Husqvarna’s
software systems. Data exchange takes place entirely
via EDI.
more Than 35 geis employees currently work for
Husqvarna in Ostrava. Outside the season, they pick
and pack around six truckloads each day. During
the season, the daily volume increases severalfold to
between 13 and 15 truckloads. The Geis Group also
takes care of distribution logistics for Husqvarna
in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, using its own
nationwide parcel and cargo service networks Geis
CZ, Geis SK and General Parcel Čechy.
Erik Lassen: „The project has started smoothly, with
our experience with Gardena products naturally
standing us in good stead. We are currently in the
middle of the high season, and our extremely flexible
employee concept is enabling us to easily handle
these peaks too.“ —