Facility Location Planning

Hamilton Beach Distribution Center Blends Great Location with High-tech Inventory Control

June 1, 1999

Working closely with consultant Kurt Salmon Associates, the appliance manufacturer decided that mixing its proprietary inventory management system with a new distribution center in Memphis was a recipe for success.

Frans Maas Keeps Parts Flowing to AutoEuropa

November 1, 1998

A thriving logistics partnership between Dutch frieght forwarder Frans Maas and a Portuguese auto plant is giving new meaning to the term "just in time."

Mikasa Redesigns Distribution To Match Retail Demands

September 1, 1998

Kurt C. Hoffman

To meet changing retailer requirements and sales growth demands, tableware designer Mikasa built a new, highly automated distribution center in Charleston, S.C., adopting an unusual design that conserves both energy and space.

Global Sourcing Helps Home Depot Keep Prices Low, Quality High

April 1, 1998

Jean V. Murphy

Home Depot has centralized its import operations, opened a major import distribution center in Savannah, Ga., and installed purchase-order and import tracking software from RockPort Trade Systems to support its continuing, rapid-fire growth.

Audiovox Uses Public Warehouses, FTZs to Quiet Supply-chain Static

March 1, 1998

Kurt C. Hoffman

Consolidation of North American distribution points, a major shift from company-owned and -operated facilities to public warehousing, and economies from a little-known program with U.S. Customs helped slash inventory and associated costs for the Audiovox Corp., a consumer electronics company in Hauppauge, N.Y.

Gymboree Finds a European Launching Pad in Ireland

February 1, 1998

Grant Park

The Shannon Free Zone's irresistible tax benefits and other advantages helped it win the business of Gymboree and of many other companies looking for a European launch pad.

Mercedes' Finely-Tuned Supply Chain

May 1, 1997

Kurt C. Hoffman

When Daimler-Benz decided to tap into the growing demand for sport-utility vehicles with an all-new design, it relied on innovative manufacturing and supply-chain efficiency to bring the product to market at a reasonable cost.

Harley-Davidson's Road Trip to Kansas City

April 1, 1997

Paul Conley

When once-ailing American icon Harley-Davidson decided it had to build a new plant to meet increasing demand, many locales wanted the nod. In the final round, Kansas City's air links to Harley headquarters and its "common culture" theme carried the day.

Facility Location Planning

The latest news, analysis, services and systems for facility location planning and network design and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are planning their location of facilities and the underlying transportation network in order to deliver goods in a more timely and efficient manner than ever before. New technologies are transforming the way companies search for and choose the right location for a facility in a region — allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using facility location planning solutions to power their supply chains.