Error-free and reliable

The WOW strategy means for the Pietsch Group to continuously invest in the diversity and timeliness of their product range. This includes comprehensive service for customers as well as the spatial and technological expansion of logistics. The range of the HLSK wholesaler includes more than 600,000 listed items, including around 72,500 items that are permanently available. Anyone who orders from Pietsch by 8:00 p.m. on the previous day will generally receive their goods the next day. For processes to function reliably, a sophisticated warehousing and transportation system is required.

Diverse Product Range

Pietsch maintains four regional warehouses: in Ahaus in Westphalia, in Mülheim an der Ruhr, in Ritterhude near Bremen, and in Ostrau in Saxony. The company group also has its own fleet, consisting of 165 vehicles, which deliver to customers via daily, night, and city distribution. "The strength of wholesale lies in providing the right goods in the right quantity at the right time in the right place and with the right information and costs," explains Frank Leupers, authorized officer and logistics division manager at Pietsch: "The warehouse function plays a significant role in this." According to Frank Leupers, this is not always easy to fulfill because the product range of the Pietsch Group is very extensive and heterogeneous: from aerators for faucets,

sinks, and bathtubs to pipes for underfloor heating systems to boilers, water heaters, or complete heat pump solutions. Everything is included, whether large, small, light, or heavy.

Investment in the Future

The central warehouse is located in Ahaus, with cross-links to all other company group locations. The branch has 40,000 pallet spaces, spread across manually operated narrow and wide aisle warehouses and block storage areas. For small parts, an Autostore system with 61,500 containers was put into operation in 2024. Pietsch invested around 20 million euros for the expansion and modernization of the warehouse in Ahaus from the former 35,000 to the current 45,000 square meters. About five million euros of this were allocated to the Autostore system, plus preparatory activities for floor treatment, electrical connection, and fire protection. This makes the storage and picking of even more products possible.

Autostore was implemented within five months during ongoing operations. The system is directly connected to "Prostore" without middleware. It has since replaced an older small parts warehouse, which essentially consisted of a shelving system and a tray lift system connected via a conveyor system.

Picking was manual with the help of picking carts and a pick-by-voice technology. The shelving required comparatively a lot of space. "Space that we can use much more efficiently with the new, compact Cube system," describes Frank Leupers.