Stellantis distributes service parts to UK and Ireland from newly built facility in Ellesmere Port

Stellantis has officially opened a 60,000 sq.m service parts distribution centre (PDC) at Ellesmere Port in the UK adjacent to its electric van manufacturing plant. The multimillion-pound facility brings distribution of parts for ten Stellantis brands across the UK and Ireland under one roof for the first time (see box). 

The facility will hold 140,000 different part lines for vehicles up to ten years’ old on 14-metre-high racking. The parts are sourced, packed and shipped to 19 regional hubs, which are part of the Distrigo spare parts distribution network. Those hubs then deliver parts onward to almost 1,000 dealer and service centres. In total, around 4m spare parts will be delivered per year, according to Stellantis. Demand for the parts is monitored through the carmaker’s warehouse management system (WMS).

The PDC also supplies Sustainera remanufactured parts, parts for other OEMs and Distrigo’s own multi-brand Eurorepar range.

The facility will employ 234 members of staff operating over two shifts five days per week. Diane Miller, Stellantis UK parts distribution centre manager, will oversee operations at the PDC. She moves to the role from her job as plant director at Ellesmere Port, where she led its transition to electric vehicle production. She succeeds Jamie Craig, who has retired from the company after 43 years of service.

“The relocation of our parts operation to Ellesmere Port has been a huge effort by everyone involved but now ensures a more efficient process by bringing all Stellantis brands under one roof,” said Miller. “Thanks to the more central location afforded by Ellesmere Port, we also benefit from better transport links for distribution to our 19 regional hubs across the UK and Ireland. I would like to thank all our employees for ensuring a successful transition, resulting in the highest customer satisfaction levels of any warehouse in Stellantis globally.”

Decarbonising distribution
Stellantis has kept an eye on sustainability for the newly built facility and it is the first UK warehouse to achieve certification under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (Breeam), according to Stellantis. Among the measures taken, the facility captures rainwater in a 7,000-litre storage tank and waste water is stored in ponds until it is treated and filtered into the Manchester Ship Canal.

With regard to cutting truck emissions, Stellantis is using an On Time in Full (Otif) system to maximise the volume of parts on trucks delivering and taking parts out of the PDC. Stellantis reports this has resulted in a 60% reduction in the number of return truck journeys since the opening of the PDC, equivalent to around 60 trips per week. 

Last month Stellantis in the US announced it was working on a $388m Mopar service parts megahub in Van Buren Township, Michigan that will use the Autostore automated storage and retrieval system. That facility is due to open in 2027.