Press Clipping

New logistic centre taken into operation as planned

December 16, 2015

• Construction project completed according to plan
• Multi-month ramp-up phase started successfully
• Collective agreement for the logistic sector signed by GERRY WEBER and the IG Metall metal workers union: 300 jobs at the new logistic centre benefit from collectively agreed terms

The new GERRY WEBER logistic centre was yesterday taken into operation as planned after a construction phase of only 20 months. This marks the start of a six-month ramp-up phase during which the capacities of the new logistic centre will successively be increased. More functions will be added in the coming months to further optimise the individual logistic processes. As of summer 2016, the centre will operate under full load and handle up to 30 million items per year. The capacity may be increased to up to 37 million items per year if required.

Says Dr. David Frink, Managing Board member of GERRY WEBER International AG in charge of logistics: “The new logistic centre replaces our currently decentralised logistic structures in Ibbenbüren, Osnabrück, Brockhagen and Dortmund and pools them in a single location. The hanging and folded merchandise currently still stored in separate warehouses and at different logistic partners will successively be transferred to the new logistic centre in the coming months.

We can now simplify shipments to customers and individual stores and have better control over the flow of merchandise, allowing us to optimise the timing of our processes, which is a key advantage. Centralisation in a single warehouse also allows us to respond more effectively to short-term trends and get our merchandise to the stores even more quickly.“

GERRY WEBER currently uses seven logistic warehouses for all its brands including HALLHUBER. HALLHUBER will be integrated into the logistic system of the GERRY WEBER Group as of summer 2016, following the integration of all GERRY WEBER brands in the new logistic centre.

With about EUR 90 million invested in the building and the technical equipment, the new logistic centre of GERRY WEBER International AG at the new Ravenna Park business site is the single most important investment in the history of the international fashion and lifestyle company. The official inauguration ceremony will be held in spring 2016.

Says Jürgen Dietsch, manager of the construction project: “I would like to thank all firms and service providers who did everything to ensure that this large-scale project was completed during such a short construction time of only 20 months. We also worked hand in hand with all the trades involved, which allowed decisions to be implemented at very short notice. All logistic companies involved worked hard and under difficult conditions to ensure that the centre could be taken into operation as planned.”

The digging of the first spade and the laying of the foundation stone on 28 April 2014 marked the start of the on-site work for this large-scale project. Work on the building shell started in September 2014, with the topping out ceremony celebrated on 19 February 2015. The first logistic fittings were installed already in March 2015. The test phase was initiated already in summer 2015 when the initial IT tests were conducted. The first tests of the conveyor equipment followed in October 2015. 

The 36 hectare site of the newly developed Ravenna Park industrial site, which accommodates both the new logistic centre of the GERRY WEBER Group and the new GERRY WEBER outlet centre, will be directly linked to the A33 motorway, which is at the final stage of construction (presumably late 2019). This will connect the new logistic centre not only to the cities of Bielefeld and Osnabrück but also to the important north-south and east-west axes of the A1 and A2 motorways.

“The addition of the new logistic centre will secure the Group’s headquarters in Halle/Westphalia in the long term and help create new jobs in the region,” Dr. David Frink added.

GERRY WEBER and IG Metall sign collective agreement for the logistic sector

GERRY WEBER and IG Metall, the trade union representing textile industry workers, have signed a collective agreement for the logistic centre and agreed a supplement to the existing collective wage and salary framework agreement. The terms and conditions will apply to all industrial employees subject to collective bargaining. GERRY WEBER International AG will create 300 new jobs at the new logistic centre in Halle/Westphalia.

Says Manfred Menningen, IG Metall Board member: “IG Metall is pleased to see that GERRY WEBER will again organise and handle its logistics itself in the form of the central warehouse. The increased value added will make the company fitter for the future. We at IG Metall are convinced that outsourcing of work and services often entails coordination and quality problems. Moreover, the company will create new jobs in the region which benefit from collectively agreed terms and conditions. This means peace of mind for the workers.”

Dr. David Frink, Director of Labour Relations and Board member in charge of human resources, adds: “The talks with IG Metall were very results-oriented from the beginning and we are happy that roughly 300 jobs at the new logistic centre will benefit from collectively agreed terms from day one.” The agreement was signed in July 2015.