MONTERREY, N.L. MEXICO — ArvinMeritor Inc. officially opened its new aftermarket parts distribution center in Cienega de Flores, a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico, part of the world-class manufacturing facility that houses the company’s commercial vehicle business operations in Mexico.
The company’s presence in Monterrey dates back more than 35 years to its successful Sisamex (formerly Dirona) brake, axle and driveline joint venture with Grupo Quimmco. With the supply of aftermarket parts always in its mission statement, ArvinMeritor previously maintained its aftermarket distribution facility in nearby Escobedo. ArvinMeritor established in 2008 the state-of-the-art 400,000-square-foot commercial axle manufacturing plant in Monterrey.
“We are proud of our role in Monterrey’s economic development and appreciate the support we’ve received from the community,” said Mario Velasco, general market manager – Aftermarket, Mexico.
The expanded Monterrey warehouse and distribution center services more than 300 dealer and independent parts distributor locations throughout Mexico and Latin America. It has 28 full-time employees and 3,270 square meters (35,200 square feet) of warehousing space, a 19 percent increase over the previous facility. The center stocks nearly 7,500 items across 22 product lines, including replacement parts for brakes, front axles, drive axles and trailer axles. Products are sold under several brands including Meritor, Dirona and Sudisa.
“The expanded operation here in Cienega de Flores supports ArvinMeritor’s goals to expand our aftermarket business in Mexico while improving service to existing distributors and customers here,” said Terry Livingston, general manager-Americas, Aftermarket, ArvinMeritor.
“At the same time, this operation is the next step in our strategy to standardize parts-handling systems and processes across our global aftermarket organization,” stated Craig Cartmill, global operations director, Aftermarket. “The Monterrey distribution center immediately services the specific needs of Mexican distributors and the advancement of our aftermarket distribution network around the world.”
Highlights of the facility include:
·3,270 square meters (35,200 square feet) of warehousing space.
·28 fully trained ArvinMeritor employees, not contracted workers.
·Configured to reduce travel distances between picking transactions. Expected results include a 30 percent improvement in picking and kitting times, 11 percent improvement in customer fill rate and 11 percent improvement in shipping accuracy compared to the previous facility.
·Increased throughput with expanded shipping and receiving capacity. Six docks are dedicated to shipping and six to receiving, with the ability to expand to 10 docks each. The previous facility had four docks for shipping and receiving.
·Integrated into the company’s ISO/TS 16949 quality standard.
·Houses ArvinMeritor’s customer, product and warranty support.
ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket for the transportation and industrial sectors. The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. ArvinMeritor marked its centennial anniversary in 2009, celebrating a long history of "forward thinking." ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For important information about the company, visit arvinmeritor.com.
