Bad Hersfeld has emerged as the best choice for expansion following a thorough review of RS 's global distribution center network. The company will maintain its other distribution centers across the EMEA region to accommodate future growth and product range expansion in the region. Currently, 140,000 industrial and electronic products are stocked in Bad Hersfeld. The new state-of-the-art distribution center will be able to accommodate over 450,000 products. The expansion project will begin in June 2019 and the expanded distribution center should be fully operational within two years.

The new distribution center with 35,000 m² of floor space will serve customers throughout Europe and create opportunities for further growth throughout the region, especially in Eastern Europe. In addition, a large number of RS's strategic suppliers are also located in Germany, which ensures short distances in the movement of goods and cooperation in general. With the expansion, RS is creating numerous qualified new jobs in northern Hesse.

Automation increases efficiency in the new warehouse and allows packaging and shipping costs to be reduced. RS is installing modern automated storage and retrieval machines and automatic packing machines. Less filling material is required for automatic packing. The cartons used are 100% recyclable.

Jürgen Lampert, Vice President Central Europe at RS Components © RS Components

"Germany is a market of strategic importance for RS and the Electrocomponents Group. We have seen strong growth in our Central Europe region and the expansion of our distribution center in Bad Hersfeld will significantly increase capacity there and enable further product range expansion in the region. Our aim is to become the first choice for our customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders. This investment will certainly help us to provide first-class service," said Jürgen Lampert, Vice President Central Europe at RS Components.