New equipment was also put out to tender in the storage area for the expansion. The specialist dealer BERG Lagertechnik was awarded the contract and, together with the warehouse technology specialist META-Regalbau, carried out the planning and implementation in close coordination with Stahlgruber. With around 180 locations in Germany and Austria, the Stahlgruber Group claims to be one of the leading car parts wholesalers. In addition to service and service packages, the company primarily offers spare parts, accessories, workshop equipment and tools for the entire automotive repair industry. Since 2018, the Stahlgruber Group has been part of LKQ Europe, the market leader in the European automotive spare parts and accessories trade. An average of 30,000 items are always available in a Stahlgruber sales outlet, which means that the company also relies on regional logistics in addition to the Sulzbach-Rosenberg logistics center. Countless delivery tours in Germany and Austria start several times a day from the respective sales outlets - including the location in Pforzheim, which has now been expanded.

Chaotic storage system
Due to the increase in orders and product range, it was time for an expansion in Pforzheim while at the same time optimizing the storage situation. Based on Stahlgruber's precise ideas, the specialist dealer BERG Lagertechnik was awarded the contract for this project. Together with its partner META-Regalbau and in close coordination with the customer, a new three-storey shelving system based on the META Clip shelving system with structural steel components was implemented as the new heart of the logistics processes at the Pforzheim site.

In principle, all items are stored according to a chaotic storage system. However, some items require special forms of storage, so these are now stored in specially equipped areas. These are, for example: car batteries in the storage area with drip pans, gratings and extinguishing equipment, exhaust parts for upright storage on the upper floor. Very long goods in specially designed tunnel shelving beyond a closed aisle, cardboard-packed bulky parts in large shelving units and special storage goods in lockable cabinets also pose a challenge.

Special requirements fulfilled
Warehouse management and labeling is carried out using a warehouse management and barcode system developed in-house, which is also based on Stahlgruber's many years of experience. In addition to the storage areas created, various requirements for the steel construction also had to be implemented. Extra-wide staircases were implemented as escape and rescue routes in one staircase, the walkways were fitted with gratings for fire protection reasons and to speed up smoke extraction, and specially designed swing gates were used for the extra-wide pallet transfer stations. META Multipal pallet racks with oil trays for storing lubricants and engine oils were placed in front of the storey system.
"The symbiosis between BERG Lagertechnik, META and Stahlgruber worked perfectly," explains Günter Zachmann, Group Manager Organization Sales Houses at Stahlgruber GmbH. "We were able to develop a high-performance storage concept in close coordination."