The investment volume for the highly automated spare parts distribution center was around € 90 million. With the new center, KION is strengthening its presence in Central Europe and taking an important step toward optimizing its supply chains.

The new spare parts distribution center is a pioneering project for integrated solutions of the KION Group. Covering an area of around 22,000 square meters, it demonstrates the full range of the Group's capabilities – from leading automation and digital technology to state-of-the-art safety and energy solutions and seamlessly integrated material flow systems. The complex construction project was realized in close cooperation between the KION brands Linde Material Handling and Dematic, which also act as integrated solution providers for large-scale customer projects.

“Thanks to the close cooperation and the combined expertise of both segments, we were able to implement a solution that meets the highest standards of efficiency, flexibility, energy savings, safety, and transparency. This enables us to offer our customers tangible added value through higher availability and faster delivery of spare parts, while at the same time creating a future-proof, sustainable infrastructure for our spare parts logistics,” says Krinninger.

The warehouse layout has been specifically designed for maximum efficiency and flexibility. It features a 30-meter-high, fully automated high-bay warehouse with six aisles and a high-performance multishuttle system with around 110,000 storage locations. The equipment is complemented by an intelligent material flow system with continuous conveyor technology from Dematic, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and industrial trucks from Linde Material Handling, which enable fast and precise processing of customer orders.

The new distribution center in Kahl am Main is not only a key project for the KION Group, but also a major infrastructure project for the region that fully meets social, economic, and environmental standards. The Kahl site has been of key operational importance for decades and offers ideal conditions for reliable spare parts supply to customers: a central location in Europe, excellent transport links, and proximity to the Linde Material Handling site in Aschaffenburg and Dematic in Heusenstamm.

The conversion of the existing site has resulted in a state-of-the-art, sustainable building that features CO₂-free heating, a photovoltaic system for power generation, environmentally friendly construction methods, additional surface sealing, and other comprehensive ecological compensation measures. The project was supported from the beginning by the municipality of Kahl, the local plant management, the works council, and the workforce. Many employees live in the region, and the new distribution center is creating additional skilled jobs locally.