Heilind’s new hub strengthens its European operations

The new distribution center spans over 8,000 square metres and includes a Value-Add Center as well as offices. This large surface area will allow for increased storage capacity, accommodating more inventory to meet demand fluctuations.

The opening of the new distribution center expands and strengthens the company’s presence in the region – and Europe in general, especially in the Industrial and MIL/Aero business. Evertiq reached out to Heilind to learn more about the strategy behind the expansion.

Heilind already has a footing in Europe, and especially Germany, what factors contributed to the decision to open a new distributor center in Hanau, Germany, and what strategic advantages does this location offer for Heilind Electronics?

“Choosing Hanau for our new distribution center underscores Heilind’s role in the most exciting distribution project in Europe. The Central West Region Europe, where Hanau is located, is crucial for our future market activities as it hosts key customers from vital sectors like energy, transportation, industry, medicine, and data connectivity. Not only does this location allow us to be closer to these key customers, but it also provides a platform to strengthen our presence in the German and broader European markets, demonstrating our commitment to European ingenuity,” Territory Manager, Lars Klapproth tells Evertiq.

Can you elaborate on the range of services that will be available at the new distributor center in Hanau, especially the value-added services such as kitting, and how will it cater to the needs of customers in the region?

“Heilind always tries to respond to the individual needs of its customers. There are several options available in our VAD center: kitting, re-reeling or cutting, special packaging, connector assembly and much more,” says, Stefan Barrig Sales Director Heilind Electronics Europe, and continues. “Together with our customers we talk about additional services and how we can implement this in our VAD Center. Not every customer is the same, so there are a variety of different services.”

Mr Barrig continues to say that special attention is paid to the company’s connector assembly line. Together with its partners, this area will be greatly expanded. New manufacturers/series will soon complement Heilind’s portfolio.

It’s not a small facility that you are opening, not by any means. What is the size of the investment to realise this expansion and how many new jobs is Heilind creating?

“Our investment in Hanau is substantial, encompassing both the construction of the distribution center and significant personnel investments. We have created positions such as a Business Development Engineer to enhance our field sales support and expand our design consulting capabilities. This investment reflects our commitment to the European market and our determination to grow amidst global changes. We are creating new jobs across various areas, from essential warehouse staff vital to our sales success to positions in in-house sales and field operations,” says Lars Klapproth.

What does the opening of this distributor center mean for Heilind Electronics' broader goals and vision on the European market?

“We look after our Central West Europe region from Germany. In addition to Germany, this includes BeNeLux, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy,” Stefan Barrig says and continues. “If we look at Germany, we have also opened additional local offices in the last five years. We look for proximity to our customers in order to be able to guarantee even better service. Germany is an important market for us, and of course we also notice certain uncertainty that can be traced back to geopolitical tensions. Nevertheless, we were able to continue to grow and this led us to the new distribution center in Frankfurt Hanau."

When making the decision, the main thing that mattered to Heilind was easy accessibility; the proximity to Frankfurt Airport, the logistics companies and the connection contributed significantly to the decision.