New strategic milestone for Gerber in EMEA
Fiskars Corporation Press release October 22, 2013
Fiskars has taken another step forward in expanding Gerber’s business outside of North America, as deliveries of Gerber products to international customers have started from Fiskars Central European distribution center in Germany. Key benefits of deliveries from the regional distribution center include significantly reduced lead times, more cost efficient shipping and reduced administrative work. The new distribution center can therefore be regarded as one of the key building blocks for a sustainable growth path for Gerber in Europe.
The Gerber brand has a very strong identity in the Americas, and Fiskars ambition is to build a global brand platform for Gerber. A dedicated EMEA sales team was appointed in 2012 to oversee Gerber sales and marketing efforts outside of North America, and significant progress has been made in expanding the brand’s footprint with new customers in key markets in Europe. The decision to utilize Fiskars regional distribution center is based on customer feedback and reflects Gerber’s desire and commitment to offer customers the best possible service.
Expanding the regional distribution center’s services to Gerber products also demonstrates a very concrete step in the execution of Fiskars supply chain strategy. Fiskars objective is to simplify its structures, and to create regional logistics platforms that serve all Fiskars business areas through fewer distribution centers.
In the beginning of 2008, Fiskars had a scattered distribution center structure with distribution centers optimized on the country level. Since then Fiskars branded products in the Americas have been consolidated into a regional distribution center in South Haven (MI) and a Nordic distribution center has been established in Hämeenlinna in Finland. In 2012 Fiskars decided to establish a Central-European regional distribution center at existing facilities in Herford, Germany. The Central European distribution center enables all Fiskars business areas to serve customers across borders to all markets with a wider assortment of products. A more centralized structure is also agile and better equipped to make changes and improve product availability across European markets for different sales channels.
Further information:
Joachim Colliander, Sales director, Gerber EMEA, tel. +49 89 207 042 100
Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors. The group has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars, Iittala, and Gerber. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finland’s oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of EUR 748 million in 2012, and employs some 4,100 people in over 20 countries. www.fiskarsgroup.com.