Foundation stone laid in Rotenburg: Innovative logistics center of thyssenkrupp Materials Services to open in mid 2021

thyssenkrupp Materials Services yesterday laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new logistics center in Rotenburg, Lower Saxony. A state-of-the-art logistics center is being built at the site and is scheduled to start operations in mid 2021. The materials distribution & service provider is investing a total of around € 60 million in the project.

"This innovative logistics location will be an expression of the capabilities of Materials Services. Here we will serve the individual wishes and requirements of our customers in northern Germany even better," says Martin Stillger, Chairman of the Executive Board of Materials Services. "We will be testing a completely new logistics concept here, digitally connecting our machinery and improving the flow of goods with our ‘alfred’ artificial intelligence. Around 70 employees will be working in Rotenburg from the middle of next year.

Industry-wide new logistics concept

With the new location, thyssenkrupp Schulte, a subsidiary of Materials Services, is introducing an industry-wide new logistics concept in the company: In the future, goods will be transported to the truck, which can be loaded and unloaded via loading bays. Up to now the trucks have stopped at various stations in the halls. "With the 'goods-to-truck' concept we are taking a completely new approach in our industry," says Tobias Hegmanns, Chief Operating Officer of thyssenkrupp Schulte. "We expect a significant increase in productivity through the optimized logistics processes."

The new concept has many advantages: The optimized material flow and the use of driverless transport systems ensure faster and more efficient loading and unloading, and thus also a significant reduction in downtimes. The concept offers the greatest possible health protection for employees, as there is no more cross-traffic in the storage and processing area.

State-of-the-art logistics center

In the ultramodern logistics center, the materials experts will keep 20,000 tons of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel and steel in stock for their customers on an area of around 36,000 m2, thus ensuring the greatest possible material availability and performance. In addition, the digital innovations of Materials Services will be fully utilized: The ‘alfred’ artificial intelligence platform ensures optimum coordination of supply streams for customers. In addition, toii, the IoT platform developed independently by Materials Services, promises efficient and coordinated processes in modern processing plants.