TTI breaks ground on new distribution centre

Phase one - which will be complete in Summer 05 - will see the company’s facility expand by almost three times to 13000m², and there is a further 10000m² planned for future growth. According to Glyn Dennehy, recently appointed VP and Managing Director, Europe, the €15M investment reflects not only the phenomenal growth the company has experienced, but also the future ambitions of the company. “Our growth this year will exceed 40%”, he comments. “We will ship components into the market to the value of at least €150M – last year the figure was €106M, so this is real growth, not currency fluctuation. Our goals for future years are equally tough: in the next few years we expect our European operation to reflect the type of success and market penetration as achieved by TTI in North America, and that our sales revenues will be nearer to €400M. As we stand today, Europe now contributes to almost 20% of TTI’s total revenue.” Dennehy emphasizes that the new European Distribution Centre is a continuation of TTI’s policy of maintaining local sales, customer service, technical and marketing support close to the customers in offices around the European region, serviced from a highly efficient, centralised logistics, warehousing facility and optimised inventory. “Other distributors have been forced to consolidate and close several local facilities”, he claims, “and it’s not for the benefit of customers. We are building this new facility in Central Europe so that we can maintain our commitment to stocking broad and deep - ie, we hold large stocks of all ranges offered by our vendor partners, we don’t just ‘Cherry Pick’ the high runners and top selling items.” The new facility will move towards a much higher level of automation, and the elimination of paper with the introduction of WCS – Wireless Control Systems – which rely on handheld scanners and readers. Building work will be complete in June 05, at which time 140 of the company’s 320-strong European team will begin the transfer just a few kilometres to the new European Distribution Centre.