Groundbreaking for central distribution center in China
Künzelsau/Haiyan. The Würth Group continues to expand its international infrastructure in Asia. The groundbreaking at the beginning of February 2017 signaled the start of the construction works to expand the central distribution center of Würth China in Haiyan. The ceremony was attended by several government officials of Haiyan County and Jiaxing as well as Udo Glatthaar, Lord Mayor of the town of Bad Mergentheim, Wang Suishe, Mayor of Haiyan County, Rainer Bürkert, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group, Ralf Lagerbauer, Deputy Member of the Executive Board of the Würth Group and Larry Stevens, Managing Director of Würth China.
The 36,000-m² distribution center will replace the different warehouses, which used to be scattered all over China in the past. It is intended as a central supply hub to provide customized logistics, procurement and supply concepts for skilled trades and industry customers in the People's Republic of China. Construction works will last 18 months.
“Situated southeast of Shanghai, the Haiyan location boasts an excellent infrastructure in the middle of the Chinese industry’s screw production centers,” explained Rainer Bürkert. In addition to logistics, the center will accommodate the purchasing and quality assurance functions as well as a laboratory. The expansion aims at simplifying processes, utilizing synergy effects and ensuring uniform, high quality standards for products and system solutions in China.
This project is based on the cooperation between the Würth Group and the Haiyan Economic Development Zone. It will secure the 1,024 jobs at the Chinese Würth Line companies in the long term while also creating job and growth opportunities in the Haiyan region.
Cooperation agreement
Within the framework of the groundbreaking ceremony, Lord Mayor Udo Glatthaar and Mayor Wang Suishe officially agreed on a closer cooperation between the town of Bad Mergentheim and Haiyan County in the future, whose main aims include the promotion of the industry and trade sectors, science, education, technology and tourism. Mr. Glatthaar underlined that “cultural exchange and better economic relations are our points of focus.”
About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the world's market leader in its core business, the trade of assembly and fastening materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 71,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 31,500 of those employees are salaried sales representatives. According to the preliminary annual financial statement, the Würth Group generated EUR 11.8 billion in sales in fiscal year 2016.
In its core business, the Würth Line, the product range for trade and industry encompasses over 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, chemical-technical products and personal protective equipment.
The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which operate in business areas related either to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group's sales volume.
