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SINSHEIM, Germany — German brake manufacturer Otto Zimmerman presented the following interview with Managing Director Holger Keller on how the pandemic has impacted the company’s – and industry’s – supply situation. The interview was presented as a company announcement and posted on its website.
In times of the Corona pandemic, supply bottlenecks are the order of the day in the automotive aftermarket. Brake manufacturer Otto Zimmermann has taken precautions: with its production site and warehouse in Germany, the company is well-positioned. In an interview, Managing Director Holger Keller reports on the current supply situation.
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Warehouse, Testing Expansion at Zimmermann
Editorial team: Mr. Keller, how did 2021 go for Zimmermann with regard to the pandemic-related supply problems?
H. Keller: 2021 was a turbulent year for everyone. Nevertheless: As a manufacturer of brake components, we were fortunately spared the major problems. We produce exclusively in Germany and are therefore not dependent on Asian production facilities.
Editorial team: Last year, the entire supply chain for the aftermarket “stuttered”. Spare parts could not be delivered for weeks. How did Zimmermann fare?
H. Keller: In most cases, we were able to supply our customers with the necessary components as usual or with only a slight delay. We are investing massively in expanding warehouse capacities and optimizing our manufacturing processes. As a result, our warehouses were well stocked in 2021 and we were able to ensure availability as far as possible. That will remain the case this year.
Editorial team: To what extent are you increasing the storage areas?
H. Keller: In November, we completed a new 6,000-square-meter warehouse – directly on the A6 highway very close to our production site in Sinsheim. Brake discs and other brake components are stored there. We already opened an 8,000-square-meter logistics center there in 2016. With the new hall, we have doubled our storage capacity. Thanks to the central storage of goods, we can offer our customers even better service.
Editorial team: What is the situation with raw materials? There is currently a major shortage in this area in particular.
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H. Keller: We source our raw material for brake discs from Germany and other European countries. This makes us independent of suppliers from the Far East. In addition, we are not dependent on container availability and container costs for raw materials.
To view the entire interview, click HERE.
