At GBT International our partner is a leading logistics and supply chain solutions companies. Here they outline the services, resources and capabilities which contribute to our success, and provide links to our regional businesses around the world.
Our warehouse and logistic partner is a UK-quoted international logistics service provider working under long-term contract for retailers and manufacturers. Our focus is on food & beverage, fashion and other branded consumer merchandise.     

Our warehouse and logistic partner has grown by an average of 22% compound per annum for 25 years. In a little over a decade they have developed into the largest distribution business in Canada and Mexico and one of the biggest in the USA. They are the principal distributor of frozen food in Central Europe; the biggest drinks and fresh produce logistics company in France; operator of the largest distribution network in sub-Saharan Africa; a logistics market leader for consumer products in China and Hong Kong; and the largest distributor of clothing and home & personal care products in the UK and Ireland.     

So they know a thing or two about managing trucks and warehouses. But what really drives us are our people and technology - the keys to providing world class supply chain solutions. Our IT systems integrate seamlessly with customers' own, and our people understand the potential of technology and are encouraged to deploy it in new and innovative ways.

Working in partnership with major retailers and manufacturers, our warehouse and logistic partner takes time to understand customers' individual demands for space, systems, human resources and added value services. It develops and implements tailored warehousing and storage solutions.     

The Group's warehousing operations total 52 million sq ft (4.8 million sq metres) and range well over 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 sq m) each. They include ambient, chilled, frozen and composite operations. Facilities are shared-user or dedicated; multi-shift, and fully automated, semi-automated or manual - depending on product profile and customer need. They also designs, constructs and operates regional distribution centres (RDCs) on behalf of retailing customers, and brings synergies and efficiencies to bear on the management of clients' own warehousing and equipment resources.     

It helps customers to establish the true cost of their storage - which is often difficult to achieve in-house. With a choice of accounting systems, customers see exactly what they're getting and how much it costs.

The Group's systems integrate seamlessly with customers' own, providing full control and complete transparency of operations. Its approach means that it is often viewed by customers not a just another supplier, but as an integral part of their management team.

Our warehouse and logistic partner Group is committed to providing high quality, cost-effective and rapid-response warehousing solutions, tailored to meeting customers' every need. The Group is also skilled at the provision of added-value/pre-retailing services, as well as customs/bonded warehousing and offshore consolidation support. In Europe, it also operates rail-connected warehouses.

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER WAREHOUSING

Warehousing services for manufacturers and suppliers are mainly concerned with finished goods prior to despatch to customers. Work in progress (WIP) may also be stored and fed into production for finishing. The Group also stores and distributes components and spare parts on behalf of manufacturing customers.
     

Such storage may be required for several reasons. Manufacturers often cannot ship all their production at one time due to batching. Or their volumes might not be sufficient to justify the overhead of a dedicated facility. In the latter case Our warehouse and logistic partner can reduce costs by offering a shared-user solution - achieving transport synergies and splitting overheads.
     

Warehousing is not a core competence of many manufacturers and the Group can bring specialist expertise to bear, including:

·  Solution design (incorporating automation if appropriate)

·  Management of manual and automated facilities

·  Provision of IT solutions (including WMS and interfacing).

As well as cost-effective warehousing operations, the Group also offers advice on inventory holding and placement policy to reduce overall costs.

RETAILER/WHOLESALER WAREHOUSING

Finished goods are stored on behalf of retailers/wholesalers until they are picked for final distribution to stores/customers. There are major differences in stock reach, assortment, handling techniques and throughput, depending on the sector served.
     

The distribution centre is critical to our warehouse and logistic partner's customers' businesses, and the Group adds value to their operations by:

·  Designing efficient solutions with appropriate use of technology

·  Fast, reliable start-up implementation

·  Provision of WMSs and expertise in their use

·  Recruiting, training and motivating workforces

·  Shared-user solutions when scale does not justify dedicated facilities

·  Flexibility to allow customer volumes to grow and fluctuate

·  Rapid transfer of new techniques and expertise from other operations.
     

Typical functions include storage, unit picking, case picking, pallet picking, track & trace, inventory management, returns processing.