Gebrüder Weiss Manages Distribution for Liebherr in Eastern Europe

The logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss manages the distribution to Liebherr appliance sales points in seven Eastern European countries. Liebherr appliances is one of the leading manufacturers of refrigeration and freezing devices in Central and Eastern Europe. Since the beginning of this year, Gebrüder Weiss has been operating an exclusive warehouse for the internationally active business division.

(Lauterach/Granz/Marica) The household appliances are stored in a terminal of approximately 5,000 square meters in Graz and are transported from there to the Liebherr partners in seven Eastern European countries.

Liebherr produces its appliances for Europe in Germany (Ochsenhausen), Austria (Lienz), and Bulgaria (Marica). From Graz, Gebrüder Weiss transports the refrigeration devices to the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia. “Our Styrian location is ideally suited for transport to Eastern Europe due to its geographical position. We have designed the distribution network in close coordination with Liebherr, and the processes are running smoothly,” explains Gerhard Haas, branch manager in Graz at Gebrüder Weiss. Despite the exceptional situation caused by Corona, the project was implemented in a very short time. The sales points in Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary are supplied directly from the Liebherr plant in Marica, Bulgaria, by Gebrüder Weiss.

Precisely Controlled Processes through myGW

Thanks to the logistics provider’s digitalization initiative, all processes can be tracked in real-time via the customer portal myGW. This ensures high transparency for Liebherr throughout the entire supply chain: from inventory levels to returns management or the estimated arrival time of goods. The Liebherr sales points in Eastern Europe also know at any time where their shipments are located. This is a novelty in many regions of Eastern Europe. “The high transparency provided by myGW, combined with the strong Eastern European expertise of Gebrüder Weiss, has convinced us,” says Josef Oberessl, Manager Logistics Central & South Europe at Liebherr. “We rely on the long-standing expertise as well as the established and dense branch network of Gebrüder Weiss. The market in Central and Eastern Europe is of great importance to us, as we see significant growth potential there.”

The two partners are aiming for the next step by the end of 2021. Then, Gebrüder Weiss is to take over not only the distribution to the dealers but also the home delivery services for Liebherr in Eastern Europe.

Photo: © Gebrüder Weiss