Dematic creating automation centre of excellence

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—Following the acquisition by the KION Group, Dematic has announced its plans for integrating Egemin Automation.

The integration, which is targeted for completion by the end of calendar year 2017, will result in the world’s largest Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) supplier while enhancing Dematic’s system integration capability in Europe. The resulting combination of technologies, talent and experience will provide customers enhanced warehouse automation and AGV solutions.

Egemin Automation was acquired by the KION Group in 2015.

In the first of two major integration moves, Dematic will be creating a Mobile Automation Center of Excellence (COE) which will combine the Dematic, Egemin Automation, and NDC (recent Dematic technology acquisition in Australia) AGV products into one global group. The COE will also include Egemin’s in-floor chain conveyor (E’tow) offerings.

The Mobile Automation COE will be headquartered in Holland, Michigan, the current home of Egemin North American operations, under the leadership of Tom Kaminski, former CEO of Egemin NA. Other COE locations will include the Egemin Automation offices in Zwijndrecht, Belgium; Bremen, Germany; Heillecourt, France; Gorinchem, the Netherlands; plus the Dematic offices in Shanghai, China; and Belrose, Australia.

In the second integration move, Egemin’s warehouse automation activities (E’wds) will continue to be located in Zwijndrecht, Belgium and will be integrated into the Dematic Central Europe organization, reporting to Barbara Wladarz, managing director, Central Europe.

The Benelux team will continue to serve all European regions in the design and delivery of warehouse and distribution solutions. The enhanced offerings will provide focused vertical market solutions including pallet warehouse systems and standard convey and sort solutions addressing the diversified requirements for markets, such as food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, distribution & logistics, production and manufacturing.

The joint Dematic and Egemin warehouse automation solution portfolio will combine the technology experience and talent of both companies.

Moving forward, Jan Vercammen, managing director of the Egemin Group, will serve as vice president, business development, Dematic International. He will be responsible for business development activities and identifying and facilitating best practices throughout the Dematic International regions of Europe, China, and ANZA.

Forming the KION Group’s Supply Chain Solutions Segment, Dematic and Egemin Automation together with KION’s Industrial Trucks & Services Segment offer end-to-end intralogistics solutions to customers from forklifts to AGVs to high-end warehouse automation. With the new structure, the group will also increase its innovative strengths by combining its resources in R&D to provide even better solutions to its customers’ fast changing material handling needs.