Würth France announces the laying of the first stone of the Evolog site, the expansion of its logistics platforms

Back to the ceremony

During this event, the company OTE set up the first pylon of the shuttle building: an obelisk 23 meters high and weighing 21 tonnes. It was straightened, tuned and sealed immediately. Symbolically, a hollow screw containing a scroll was placed in a cavity in the concrete post. This parchment, signed jointly by Claude Kopff, Chairman of the Management Board and Claude Muller, Logistics Director of Würth France aims to thank all the stakeholders in the Evolog project.

Evolog: an investment of more than €70 million to modernize and expand the Erstein logistics platform

Würth France is continuing its development to support its multi-channel strategy and its growth, while improving its productivity and competitiveness. This is why EVOLOG, a vast project to modernize and expand its logistics platforms, was born. This is Würth France's largest investment since its creation in 1967.

For the first part of this large-scale project, more than 70 million euros have been invested in the logistics platform at Erstein (67). Created in 1990, the platform has already undergone some changes, including two extensions in 1995 and 1999.

Improving delivery times, increasing productivity, improving workstation ergonomics, responsiveness and better control of order processing are the main objectives of this project. This, not only to improve customer satisfaction and remain competitive on the market, but also to ensure the sustainability of jobs and the development of employee skills through training in new technologies.

After several years of work, the “Goods to Person” system was favored in order to increase responsiveness, productivity and employee safety. Their working conditions will be improved and the ergonomics of their workstations redesigned. This system also allows better processing of orders and optimized delivery times.

Composed of 3 new buildings, this extension will constitute an additional storage area between 12.000 m² and 15.000 m².

• The shuttle, a fully automated warehouse with an area of ​​approximately 1800 m² and 24 meters high, will have a storage capacity of 120.000 bins which will supply the various picking stations thanks to a multitude of automated shuttles as well as a conveyor system efficient. The system will contribute to the consolidation of orders thanks to the buffer storage of the parcels, thus making it possible to ship all the parcels of the same order in a consolidated way. The special feature of this new building is its oxygen-depleted atmosphere fire protection system. In fact, in this highly secure environment, which is not dangerous for humans, the combustion of the products that will be stored there is impossible.
• The functional building, with a surface area of ​​around 5000 m² on 5 levels, will be the automatic launch point for parcels with its cardboard forming machines and will contain around twenty high-performance picking stations.
• The shipping building, meanwhile, will be the link with the current logistics platform. This is the new location of the Shipping department, initially with automatic packaging of parcels with height reduction by capping machines, automatic palletizing and 12 new loading docks. The quantities of packaging and wedging product will be reduced and therefore the environmental impact.

In addition to these new buildings, a large part of the current logistics platform will be modernized. The conveying system will be completely renovated and numerous pieces of equipment will improve the working conditions of employees and will reduce the number of parcels shipped through further consolidation. Thanks to a new package dimension, the conveyable references will be increased and the number of packages and therefore the environmental impact will be reduced. In addition, deliveries from our stores will be made in reusable collapsible bins, which will drastically reduce the waste emitted by them. Finally, the installation of solar panels will provide part of the necessary energy.

The work of this extraordinary investment will constitute a real technical feat since throughout the construction the platform will remain in operation, under the responsibility of Claude Muller, logistics director, and Sébastien Bach, in charge of the project.

For Claude Kopff, Chairman of the Management Board: “After 3 years of joint work with the group's management, at the end of 2020 we had the agreement to launch this vast project to modernize our logistics platform. It is a symbol of the Würth family's attachment to our Alsatian site, but also proof of our company's desire for sustainability. An investment entirely self-financed thanks to a healthy cash flow and correct equity, in short the result of management by a good father. The work that began in 2022 will enable commissioning in 2024. Throughout this period, the platform's employees will be trained in the jobs of tomorrow so that they are stakeholders in this great business project. »

The key stages of logistics at Würth France:

• 1990: inauguration of a new logistics platform of 10.000 m² in ZI Ouest in Erstein (67) 1995: first logistics extension of 5.000 m²
• 1999: second logistics extension of 13.000 m² (new marshalling yard)
• 2002: third logistics extension (new fully automated pallet rack)
• 2008: commissioning of the second logistics platform in Montélimar (26) (17.000 m²)
• 2021: study of the EVOLOG project for the Erstein logistics platform (currently 34.000 m²)
• 2022: start of EVOLOG works