Menlo expands supply chain network across Europe

Menlo Worldwide Logistics has announced that it is ramping up its operations in mainland Europe with the creation of a new distribution facility in Genk, Belgium. The company is looking to improve its supply chain network and the 16,000 sq m site will form a base in the Flemish nation. It is the second facility that the firm has opened in Belgium and takes its total floor space up to 21,000 sq m. Officials explained that the new premises will provide warehousing, distribution and supply chain management services to a host of organisations involved in the manufacturing and retail industries. The Genk site will be used to serve local customers and also become a supply hub for the western European markets. Menlo also has 17 dedicated and multi-client logistics centres which are based all across the continent. Facilities are located in nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany and the UK providing pan-European distribution services to firms that contact it needing assistance. The Genk facility will focus on aspects such as inventory management, fulfillment, export shipping, returns management and supply chain control services among other factors. It will have the potential to work both as a regional and international site boosting Menlo's offering across the continent. Tony Gunn, Menlo's managing director in Europe, explained the decision to build a new facility: "Our strategic operations in Genk, and our other facilities throughout Europe, provide value-added services for major manufacturers and retailers in the region. Genk is a key location for the global Menlo network." A number of major supply chain companies have been setting up their logistics jobs in mainland Europe of late. DHL Global Forwarding recently announced that it would opening a competence centre in Barcelona with the aim of improving services centered around the life, science and healthcare sector in both Spain and southern Europe. The facility has been set up in the Catalan city's Logistics Activities Zone offering easy links to El Prat airport and other key infrastructure throughout the area.