Since the company was founded in 1971, the number of employees at the Krefelder Strasse site has risen continuously and currently stands at 470. In addition to the Mönchengladbach site, Vanderlande is also present at three other locations in Germany. The Group's IT competence center is located in Dortmund. Around 270 employees there ensure that the company's automated material flow systems installed worldwide are individually tailored to the customer and make a reliable contribution to mastering the customer's challenges.

More than 260 employees develop and produce shuttle and storage and retrieval technologies for Vanderlande worldwide at the supply center and service base in Siegen. The competence center for flat-packed and hanging garments in the fashion sector for Vanderlande worldwide is based in Bielefeld. Here, more than 30 employees develop complete systems, manufacture and pre-assemble individual modules and components. Within the Group, the Mönchengladbach-based company ensures direct support for customers in predominantly German-speaking countries.

Location expanded

As a general contractor, Vanderlande has already successfully supported many large and well-known companies such as Amazon, Zalando, Edeka Süwest Fleisch and Lidl with their logistical challenges. In the course of the company's business success and the associated growth over the last few years, a spatial expansion has now become unavoidable. A new, additional building was therefore erected on the extensive company premises on Krefelder Strasse and recently occupied. This new part of the building is connected to the existing building by a spacious glass passageway and offers around 150 employees not only ergonomic workplaces in a modern environment, but also sufficient opportunities for exchange and collaboration in teams, some of which are international.

Vanderlande is one of the world's leading general contractors for process automation solutions in the warehouse sector and for the parcel market, as well as the global market leader for the future-proof automation of logistics processes at airports. Vanderlande's range of integrated solutions - systems, software and life-cycle services - enables the implementation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology, particularly in the food, fashion and general retail segments.

From Holland to the world

The company was founded in 1949 as Machinefabriek E. van der Lande. In a small building on the canal in Veghel, the Netherlands, Vanderlande started out as a general engineering and construction company manufacturing lifting equipment, cranes and conveyor belts, for example for unloading coal ships.

Since then, the company has grown from a local business to a global market leader in automated material handling systems, employing more than 7,500 people at various locations on every continent, with the aim of further developing customers' business processes. With a steadily growing turnover of 1.8 billion euros, Vanderlande has made a name for itself over the past seven decades as a reliable partner for future-proof solutions in the field of automated logistics processes. In 2017, Vanderlande was acquired by Toyota Industries Corporation. This will help to continue its sustainable, profitable growth. The two companies are strategically strongly aligned. Synergies include cross-selling, product innovation and research and development.

The article appeared in materialfluss 11-12/21.