Salami for the sandwich

Uninterrupted cold chain

The European Independent Purchasing Company Ltd (EIPC) organizes and coordinates purchasing for the franchise partners of the more than 4,500 Subway restaurants in Europe. "To ensure that all restaurants are supplied with food on time, we need a reliable partner. We have found this in the Supreme Group," says Ben Fricke, Commercial Director at EIPC. The global logistics group is on the road for EIPC in Germany almost every day, delivering around 1.8 million parcels of food and other accessories, such as packaging materials, to Subway restaurants every year. "We have changed internal processes specifically for this. For example, we initially worked with subcontractors so that we could also supply restaurants in remote areas of Germany," explains Heiner Tieben, Managing Director at Supreme. Since 2010, the logistics company has been supplying all customers with its own fleet of vehicles in Germany and supplies the Subway restaurants with the required products according to a fixed delivery rhythm, usually weekly.

About EIPC

The European Independent Purchasing Company Limited (EIPC) is a purchasing company responsible for the procurement of food, packaging, equipment and the development of business solutions for the more than 4,500 Subway restaurants in Europe - from purchasing and price negotiations to defining the supply chain and distribution. The aim of EIPC is to increase the profitability and competitiveness of Subway franchise partners in Europe by pooling purchasing volumes and creating a pan-European supply chain. The owners of the EIPC are the Subway franchise partners in Europe. The purchasing company concept is a novelty and to date unique in Europe.

"In emergencies, for example when items are out of stock, franchise partners receive their goods within 24 hours," says Ben Fricke. "We use a special three-chamber system so that we can transport all products, whether chilled, frozen or dry, in one truck. We strictly control that the cold chain is not interrupted at any time," assures Heiner Tieben.

Proper storage in four large warehouses

Supreme delivers food and packaging materials to Subway restaurants according to a fixed delivery rhythm. And it does so in a special three-chamber system. Whether chilled, frozen or dry, the products can be transported in a truck.

In a total of four large depots in Berlin, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Remseck and Rheine with a total area of 12,000 square meters and numerous small transshipment warehouses, the products are temporarily stored until they are transported to the Subway restaurants. Supreme has deliberately decided to coordinate the warehouse locations throughout Germany. This means that fast delivery is possible at all times. The logistics company specializes in end-to-end supply chain solutions, i.e. from the origin of the goods to the end customer. Supreme has been active on the market for over 50 years with 2,500 employees worldwide. The logistics service provider is headquartered in Dubai and has additional branches in Germany, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Afghanistan, the USA and the UK.

Expand network in Europe

"Even before we became a partner of EIPC, we had been interested in working together for many years. Clear and professional standardization at EIPC makes it possible for processes to run smoothly," emphasizes Heiner Tieben. "Together, we develop solutions for the supply chain that lead to the best possible result for everyone involved." Together with Subway and EIPC, Supreme wants to grow and expand its network in Europe. "We have come to know EIPC as a trustworthy, professional and results-oriented partner. We work closely together to achieve our common goal of professionally supplying franchise partners with food and other products for their daily restaurant needs." Together, EIPC and Subway are committed to making this complex logistics network as environmentally friendly as possible. As a result, more than 600,000 kilometers and over 600 tons of cardboard have been saved across Europe, and 100 fewer trucks are in use.

Supreme has been professionally delivering the products to Subway restaurants on behalf of EIPC since 2009.

Contact:Supreme Group 48432 Rheine Tel.: 0 59 71 / 9 67 40 E-Mail: [email protected] www.supreme-group.net

European Independent Purchasing Company Limited 41468 Neuss Tel.: 0 21 31 / 1 51 05-0 E-Mail: [email protected] www.eipc.eu