Mike Beamish, executive vice president and board member, Volkswagen Group of America Inc. on June 18 joined local elected officials and community leaders in the grand opening of the company's $30 million parts distribution center in Jacksonville, Fla. State Senator Steve Wise; City Council member Reginald Brown; Ron Barton, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Council; and Jack McEowen, director, parts logistics, VWGoA, joined in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 260,000-square-foot facility.
"This distribution center is another tangible sign of our plans to grow in the U.S. We are ready to grow in this market because we produce the kind of cars Americans want – well-made, technologically advanced, fuel efficient and fun to drive," Beamish said. "Volkswagen knows that environmental responsibility requires much more than increased fuel efficiency and fewer emissions. We consider the environment in everything we do, including this distribution center, which uses new technologies to reduce energy consumption and increase efficiency."
Among the energy saving features at the new center are:
· Dock doors with special insulation to prevent the loss of heating and cooling;
· Equipment chargers designed to reduce energy consumption by more than 25 percent;
· Advanced fluorescent lights linked to motion sensors that reduce electricity consumption by up to 60 percent; and
· Nearly 50 skylights providing natural lighting.
The new center receives an average inbound of three trailers or 1,000 inventory lines a day and sends out nearly 6,000 outbound inventory lines per day. Nearly 40 employees service 115 Volkswagen and Audi dealers throughout the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and Puerto Rico.
With more than $18 million in inventory and nearly 50,000 unique part numbers, the new center is 30 percent larger than the company's former Jacksonville parts distribution center, which was opened in 1988 and located on Central Parkway. Construction on the new facility began in November 2007, and employees began transitioning to the new facility in November 2008.
As Volkswagen Group of America looks to triple its sales by 2018, the new parts distribution center is another example of the company's investment and commitment to the U.S. market. Last year, the company announced it was building a new manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., and opened new corporate headquarters in Herndon, Va.
About Volkswagen Group of America
Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, the world's third-largest automaker and the largest carmaker in Europe. It houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va.
Volkswagen Group of America brings to the U.S. vehicles that marry the science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering attractive, safe, and environmentally sound automobiles that are competitive and set world standards in their respective classes. The company has approximately 2,500 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through an 800-strong dealer network. With increasing popularity for its brands in the U.S., the company has set the goal of reaching one million car sales in the country by 2018.