Briggs & Stratton to Consolidate Warehouses into Two Distribution Centers
Briggs & Stratton Corp. announced plans to consolidate a number of its smaller existing warehouses throughout the United States into two large warehouses in Germantown, Wis., in the Milwaukee area, and Auburn, Ala. Both facilities are expected to be operational in spring 2019.
The Germantown facility will be part of a newly approved industrial park, serving as a 700,000 square foot distribution center for Briggs & Stratton engines and products. This space will be in addition to the company’s existing service and parts distribution center located in Menomonee Falls, Wis. The company does not anticipate significant staffing changes given the consolidation of smaller local facilities. The village of Germantown and Washington County plan to support the project with an attraction fund commitment and developer TIF funding.
The Auburn facility will be a 400,000-square-foot distribution center, also for engines and products. This facility positions Briggs & Stratton’s inventory in the optimal location to best supply its customers with shorter delivery times in this region of the U.S., the company said. The City of Auburn, the Industrial Development Board of the City of Auburn, and the state of Alabama plan to support the project with available incentives, creating approximately 20 new jobs in Auburn.
“By consolidating our current footprint into two larger distribution centers, we’re increasing efficiencies to more effectively serve our customers,” said Bill Harlow, director of global distribution and warehousing at Briggs & Stratton. “The locations in Germantown and Auburn will provide a North American enterprise distribution footprint that supports our strategy and customers with optimal inventory and order delivery while managing space and capital investment.”
“This decision aligns with our commitment to invest in being a partner of choice and easy to do business with,” said Dave Rodgers, senior vice president and president – engines and power at Briggs & Stratton. “We’re already enhancing two of our existing plants in Auburn, Alabama, and Statesboro, Georgia, to bring production of our commercial Vanguard V-Twin engines back to the U.S. and we’re continuously investing in our research and development efforts to create products that help make work easier and lives better.”
Briggs & Stratton has warehouses throughout the world. The company is based in Milwaukee and includes brands such as Simplicity, Snapper, Ferris, Vangiard, Allmand, Billy Goat, Murray, Branco and Victa.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.