A €65 million investment for the largest multi-client logistical hub in Europe, dedicated to the publishing sector |
Milan, Italy, 19 October 2010 – CEVA Logistics, a leading global supply chain management company, yesterday launched the City of Books, a cutting-edge logistics platform which is unique in Europe as it is dedicated solely to the publishing sector. The launch was attended by a number of high profile companies, prospective and current customers, and Italian politicians. CEVA managers and logisitics experts have worked together on this project, which has required an external investment of €65 million and eight months’ construction time. The Stradella site near Pavia in Italy was chosen as the location of the new hub because of its strategic position, being central to the national logistical traffic running north-south and east-west. Annually, the City of Books manages over 90 million books on behalf of customers like RCS Libri, Messaggerie Libri and Pearson, this equates to more than half the books read in Italy each year. CEVA will manage approximately 400,000 tonnes of printed and bound paper, equivalent to 3,000 loaded lorries, or 100,000 pallets for a single hub. This new hub will see the employment of 200 staff members in order to cater for the distribution of books to 4,000 points of delivery throughout Italy. The collaboration with AKNO Business Parks has made it possible to expand the area space of the warehouse in a short time, extending from the initial 80,000 sq m to over 150,000 sq m. The flexibility of this enables CEVA to respond rapidly and dynamically to the market demands, working alongside publishers and ensuring CEVA can cater for the growth of its business. The City of Books introduces a radical innovation in the distribution framework for the publishing sector. The logistics chain has been shortened thanks to the integration upstream of inbound and finishing activities, with a consequent optimization of flows and a reduction in associated logistical costs. Hosting logistics activities for numerous publishers in a single site also creates a further economically viable solution for customers. Sharing warehouse areas, IT systems, automation processes and specialized staff permits a reduction of overall costs. Through the continuous application of standardized procedures CEVA’s logistics services and procedures will undergo continuous improvements to its processes, offering constant high levels of service to the customer. This sustainable site in Stradella highlights CEVA’s initiative towards green warehousing; by the end of the year a photovoltaic plant will be installed totaling over 35,000 modules, covering an area of 6,500 sq m. This will produce 3,780 MWh annually, the equivalent to energy generated in 2,000 homes, saving on average of 1.6 million kg of CO2 emissions. Marco Ausenda, Trade Books Director of RCS Libri, said: “The centralization of the flows from the publishing sector into a single platform enables the simplification of our logistics chain, reducing costs, which presents a benefit not just for publishers, but also for the final consumer as the book is delivered at the right moment in the best possible conditions and at the lowest cost. Moreover, we share in full CEVA’s eco-compatible approach and program to reduce waste, which permits us to combine an efficient logistical service with the protection of the environment, contributing to an improvement in the level of quality of life.” Gianfranco Sgro, President of CEVA for Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, declared: “The City of Books enables CEVA to consolidate its role as a leader in the Italian publishing sector. It has identified strategic solutions to support publishers to achieve the best results, for example hosting several significant publishing companies at the same site makes it possible to better respond to developments or fluctuations within the final market; thanks to the technologies used it also facilitates the use of multi-channel and allows a complete visibility of the supply chain.” For more information contact:Danilo Schipani |
| CEVA – Making business flow CEVA Logistics provides world class supply chain solutions for large and medium-size national and multinational companies across the globe. As an industry leader, CEVA offers customers complete supply chain design and implementation in contract logistics and freight management, alone or in combination. CEVA’s integrated global network has facilities in over 170 countries and more than 46,000 employees; all dedicated to delivering consistently excellent operations and supply chain solutions. For the year ending 31 December 2009, the Group reported revenues of €5.5 billion. For more information, please visit www.cevalogistics.com |
CEVA launches the City of Books in Italy
