Truck maker Scania in investing almost £40m (SEK 400m) to increase the capacity of its parts distribution operation.
It is building a 36,500 sq m (360,000 sq ft) warehouse to supplement its existing facility at Opglabbeek in Belgium which serves as the parts distribution hub for the company’s 1,000 or so European dealerships as well as supplying the regional warehouses that supply Scania dealerships in the rest of the world.
In addition, it is developing a news parts warehouse in South America. The new facilities will go into service during the first quarter of 2013.
“This investment is being made so that we can continue to ensure high availability of parts for the growing number of Scania vehicles on the road. Good parts availability at service workshops is of great importance for our customers’ profitability,” says Jan Andries Oldenkamp, head of Scania Parts Logistics.
In South America, Scania’s parts supply occurs via a facility located near the company’s factory in São Paulo. This operation will be moved to the municipality of Vinhedo in the Campinas region, which has developed into a logistics centre for road and air transport services. The new 16,000 square metre building will represent a 60 per cent increase in capacity.
Scania has also been investing in strengthening its regional parts distribution in the rest of the world. In late 2011 Scania established a regional warehouse in Singapore.