Tibbett Logistics has continued its rapid expansion within the automotive sector by leasing 10,000 sq metres of warehousing in Deva in Hunedoara County in the mid-West of Romania. The new space will be dedicated to automotive operations for OEMs, plus Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers of components to the industry.
Tibbett Logistics commenced automotive operations for Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems (SEWS-R) in nearby Bacia on 1,000 sq metres of warehousing in 2011. This site was extended in 2013 with the addition of other clients – the largest of which was Draexlmaier, which has production in nearby Hunedoara. Given Tibbett Logistics’ sustained growth in services to OEMs and Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers, the decision was taken to relocate from Bacia to the larger new facility in Deva – and this move has just been completed.
The increase in automotive sector activity in the Romanian heartland mirrors the success of Tibbett Logistics in the Bucharest area, where the company now occupies over 11,000 sq metres dedicated to automotive logistics operations.
With more than 300 FTE employees dedicated to the sector, Tibbett’s automotive services now include both international and intra-European inbound transport of components via its own intermodal operations, plus VMI operations for suppliers, inbound QC and decanting, factory support services, re-packing, post-production quality control, equipment management and trans-European FTL transport to vehicle production plants across Western Europe. In addition, Tibbett Logistics provides outbound domestic consolidation of components from more than 35 automotive suppliers. As well as Bucharest and Deva, the company also provides automotive warehousing and cross-docking of automotive collections for international transport out of its facility in Arad in the far West of the country.
Tibbett Logistics’ CEO, David Goldsborough, said: “Back in 2011 we identified the automotive sector as a strategic priority for potential growth – as it was one where the high quality of processes, management and customer service was a pre-requisite, and where we could offer commercial advantage. Now, in partnership with our key customers, we have developed to become one of the largest suppliers of services to automotive OEMs and Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers in Romania. Our automotive sector operations have grown to the point where they account for some 24% of total revenues – and this at a time when the rest of our business has also been developing strongly.”
Tibbett Logistics specialises in providing intermodal logistics and extensive supply chain management services to the automotive, DIY, food & grocery, textiles, retail and other FMCG sectors across Romania and elsewhere in South East Europe. In addition to operating a total of 95,000 sq metres (1,000,000 sq ft) of warehousing at 13 locations and employing over 1,000 FTEs, the company has a distribution fleet comprising tilt trailers, double- and triple-chamber reefers and container chassis – along with its own intermodal rail wagons.
Tibbett Logistics will be exhibiting on stand I/24 at the Forum Automobillogistik 2016 at the Kap Europa Congress Centre, Frankfurt a.M., Germany on 3rd–4th February 2016.
