Perkins opens parts warehouse in Kentucky
Perkins North America Regional Logistics Center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky gives US end customers and North American distributors the rapid and reliable service they need. Part of a strategic partnership with global logistics giants UPS – and based close to its worldwide small parcel air hub – orders can be processed immediately and delivered next day across the whole of the United States. With 7,000 parts in stock and advanced back-end systems supporting distributors in the region, the centre is a landmark addition to Perkins trusted global network.
Perkins new logistics center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is helping ensure customers across North America get the genuine Perkins parts they need – when they need them.
The center is part of a long-term partnership with the world’s largest package delivery company, UPS. It puts Perkins at the centre of a world-class global machine.
The Perkins warehouse encompasses 37,000 sq ft within a larger 400,000 sq ft UPS-SCS multi-client facility. It lies around 50 miles away from the UPS Louisville courier hub, which is equivalent in size to 90 football fields and bigger than the Mall of America.
Being close to Louisville Airport – which sees 130 UPS-owned aircraft pass through it every day – as well as major national road networks, the facility is ideally positioned to deliver the fast and reliable support Perkins customers rely on.
The centre will support all Perkins customers in the region, however they choose to shop.
It will help US and Canadian distributors to ensure they have the right parts to service customers who prefer to work through the Perkins distributor and service network. US and Canadian distributors will be able to order from the centre in late 2017.
The center will also support end customers in the US who prefer to buy online. They can order direct from Perkins for the first time through its recently launched online shop (perkins.com/shop) and benefit from a variety of shipping options, comprising ground, two-day air and next-day air.
From coast to coast, the site is primed to provide 100 percent of US customers with next day delivery of the parts they need – should they need it.
With some 7,000 part numbers already stocked, by the end of the year NA distributors will be able to order all Perkins parts through the centre. If demand isn’t sufficient to hold a part permanently, it will be shipped from the UK with no impact on customers.
An important benefit of the site is its proximity to Louisville Airport. This allows for a final collection from the center at 9.30pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) every evening. This means customers can place an order until 8pm – and still get their order the next day. Those on the west coast can order any time until the end of their working day.
A valuable new back-end system is also in place to provide extra support for distributors. Called Retail Inventory Management (RIM), it is being implemented across all distributors worldwide and the top 80 percent of their dealers too.
It uses complex algorithms to calculate the stock they should hold in each location to meet customer demand when they need it. It should improve availability across the board ensuring the majority of parts are on the shelf when customers need them.
It will also make stock visible across the entire Perkins network, including distributors, branches, dealers and warehouses. This will allow businesses across the network to work together to solve any stock shortfalls.
