Kuehne + Nagel has expanded BMW’s supply centre in Wörth, Germany by 50,000-square metres to feed inbound parts to the carmaker’s plants in Dingolfing, Landshut and Leipzig. The addition brings the footprint at the facility to 95,000 square metres.
The logistics provider is handling warehousing, sequencing and transport of parts, as well as the commissioning of components. It will also be handling reverse logistics, customs clearance and various security tasks for the carmaker. The supply centre will also be used as a cross-dock where goods from suppliers will be received, processes and distributed to all of BMW’s plants in the Bavarian region.
“We are happy to further expand the collaboration with BMW,“ said Jens Wollesen, member of the management board of Kuehne + Nagel responsible for Contract Logistics in the Region Central Europe. “The production supply we are enabling for BMW from Wörth is of high logistical complexity. With the new supply center for BMW we are setting a milestone for Kuehne + Nagel’s automotive logistics in terms of production delivery and sequencing.”
Toyota Kirloskar to make Camry in India
Toyota’s joint venture in India with Kirloskar Group – Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) – is planning to launch its new 2012 Camry model in the country on 24 August and for the first time the vehicle will be assembled from imported components. The vehicle will be made at TKM’s 1st Plant near Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. The previous version was imported as a complete unit from Toyota’s TMT Gateway plant in Thailand by NYK via the port of Ennore.
Toyota said that prior to the launch date it could only confirm that production will begin in the third quarter but that TKM has already stopped importing finished vehicles from Thailand.
The Camry has been sold in India since 2002 and a company spokesman said the move towards local production is in line with the carmaker’s general approach to produce vehicles where they are sold as much as possible and when it makes business sense.
The new model will only be available with a petrol option initially and will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Dual-VVT-i engine.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor registered a growth of 7% in July 2012. The company sold 14,574 units in July as compared to 13,592 units in the corresponding month last year. However, sales of the Camry in India have been declining since 2008 and last year the company sold just 200 for the year, the same number it sold in 2002 and 800 less than the sales it saw in 2006/2007.
Norfolk Southern joins AIAG
North American rail provider, Norfolk Southern, has joined the Automotive Industry Action Group, a not-for-profit, membership group geared toward supporting the interests carmakers and suppliers in the US.
“The rebound in the automotive industry has created new challenges for logistics management, and Norfolk Southern Corporation’s expertise in intermodal transportation will be beneficial to AIAG’s entire membership at a key time,” said J. Scot Sharland, executive director of AIAG in a statement. “Norfolk Southern serves a number of facilities in the automotive sector, and we believe its membership in AIAG will be a win-win for the entire automotive industry as we continue to identify common emerging issues and facilitate solutions.”
“Joining AIAG will enable Norfolk Southern to gain a deeper understanding of our automotive customers’ needs and afford us an opportunity to be an industry leader in contributing ideas and solutions to complex logistics issues,” said Richard Kiley, Norfolk Southern Group Vice President-Automotive.
The Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia and serves 33 auto distribution facilities, 26 auto assembly plants, four service centers and three just-in-time rail auto parts centers.
Logwin expands in China
Logistics services provider Logwin has opened a new office in Fuzhou in China’s Fujian Province to serve a range of industries including the electronics and automotive sectors.
The logistics provider said that the opening of the new office is part of its strategy to expand its sales competence and network of locations in China with main focus on the provinces of Hong Kong, Macao, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hainan and Yunnan.
“We can see a great deal of potential in Fuzhou, since the demand for domestic and international logistics services increases with the growth in industry,” said Jimmy Chow, country director for South China and Hong Kong at Logwin.
Logwin reported that it is speeding up the development of its business activities in the fields of transport, warehousing, distribution and value added services.
PTC to buy Servigistics
Product development expert PTC is buying Servigistics, a developer of service lifecycle management (SLM) software, for approximately $220m. Subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to be completed in September this year.
The purchase will expand PTC’s existing portfolio of SLM products, which currently includes warranty and contract management, service parts definition and technical information, with technology for areas such as service parts planning, management and pricing, field service management, returns and repair management.
PTC said it is seeking to move beyond its roots in product development to focus on building technology solutions that help manufacturers transform the way products are created and serviced.
