As one of Europe’s leading distributors of fasteners and fixing technology, supplying industry and trade customers worldwide, REYHER was faced with what seemed an impossible task when it wanted to expand its stockholding. Based in Hamburg city centre there was no space for REYHER to build outwards, so it therefore decided to build… upwards.
Officially opened in June last year, REYHER’s double-level high bay warehouse is a striking 42 metres high, with the 110m long high-rack warehouse now covering eight floors and divided horizontally – meaning that the two levels work independently of one another. An additional 40,000 pallet places created by the new warehouse has extended REYHER’s total capacity to an eye-watering 100,000 pallet places, and 120,000 bin places.
REYHER stocks a wide product range in all common dimensions, sizes, and coatings, from its dedicated reputable manufacturers. In addition to standard fasteners, REYHER also supplies numerous non-standard items and has a total of more than 130,000 different items in stock.
With notable daily incoming goods of roughly 1,000 pallets, and outgoing goods of 300 tonnes, the efficiency of REYHER’s logistics system is paramount. With a daily supply readiness of over 99%, the new fully automated warehouse has further supported the company’s customer delivery performance. REYHER’s central location means customers can choose a variety of different articles to be shipped in one delivery. Orders can be supplied to Germany within 24 hours, Europe within 48 hours, the USA in 1 – 2 days, Asia in 2 – 3 days and Africa in 3 – 5 days – depending on air freight and customs clearance.
Whilst in the past ‘the product’ was a distributor’s sole focus – today it is more and more about the services alongside the product. “At REYHER we answer that demand with our added services such as ROM, RIO, RKP, REM,” explains Klaus-Dieter Schmidt, joint CEO at F. REYHER Nchfg GmbH & Co KG. “It is only those companies that consistently invest, that can meet the pace of ‘customer needs’.”
One of these additional services is REYHER’s C-part management supply system ROM – REYHER Order Management, which it has offered since 1993 and enables the company to provide its customers with the most reliable supply procedures. Combinable modules, RFID technology, barcode systems, flexible labelling, and modern data interchange, form an all-round carefree package for seamless materials supply, which can be adapted precisely and flexibly to meet individual customer needs.
“We’re offering more services than ever before so we’re doing so much more than delivering screws to customers. Our added services are one of the many benefits to ordering from REYHER,” explains Mr Schmidt.
Added to this is REYHER’s consulting and technical expertise, and a dedicated REM – REYHER Engineering Management team consisting of qualified engineers and technicians. “Our support goes far beyond choosing the correct screw. We help our customers to standardise their own range of products and structure it more economically – we do not keep our knowledge and know-how to ourselves. That is why distributors such as REYHER are so important and have a vital role to play in the fastener supply chain,” explains Mr Schmidt.
To further ensure customers’ full needs are being met, REYHER also offers individualised kitting and packaging services. RKP – REYHER Kitting & Packaging includes packaging design and labelling, as well as compiling items into sets or complex assembly kits that can be given a prioritised pack sequence as required. REYHER then despatches ‘just in time’ to the construction site, to production halls or wherever fasteners and fixing technology is needed.
The quality of these products is paramount, and REYHER has an on-site laboratory equipped with optical measurement, hardness testing, micro hardness testing, spectral analysis, salt spray testing and much more. Suppliers are classified according to how regularly, and extensive, tests on incoming goods should be to maintain the high-quality products REYHER’s customers have come to expect and rely on. Another recent investment from REYHER includes a tension testing machine, which enables the company to test screws up to M48 and has a pulling strength of 120 tonnes.
Offering high-quality products and services is key to REYHER’s success – especially due to raw material trends and high market demand. “Raw material prices are rising and as a result our prices are having to reflect this. Delivery times from Asia also have increased – it can now take up to 12 months to get the stock into our warehouse. It’s therefore crucial that we can continue to offer an extensive range of services, in-depth product offer, and a company-wide drive to satisfy customers,” explains Mr Schmidt.
Future-oriented, REYHER is always striving to optimise its services – most recently, for example, with its new ROM barcode scanner. The ROM – REYHER Order Management barcode scanner makes C-part management much more convenient and efficient with an Android operating system and high-resolution 5 inch display. With the handheld scanner, ROM users can work ergonomically in many different positions with a sharp easy to read display and large keys that can be used whilst wearing protective gloves, often used in production and logistics or with wet hands. For more convenience the virtual scan head can also be placed in many positions on the user interface, and alternatively the user can use a hardware button on the side of the scanner. The articles scanned are then listed clearly on the display. By tapping the relevant function key and authorising with a password the order is triggered and sent directly to REYHER via a mobile radio connection. If required an order number can also be generated.
It’s clear to see from visiting the impressive headquarters in Hamburg, that REYHER employees have a passion and pride for the state of the art technology the company continues to invest in. Through this technology and the commitment of its employees REYHER is able to provide its customers with a comprehensive range of products and added value service – ensuring its position as one of Europe’s leading distributors of fastener and fixing technology.
“It is always important for us to look ahead and closely monitor the fastener market as a whole. This includes the impact on the market as a result of US action and the EU response, and also anti-dumping tariffs from the EU,” concludes Mr Schmidt. “We see that potential for growth exists for REYHER because our customers have a desire for more, whether that’s in quality, service, logistical solutions, or a more marketable product portfolio. We will continue to meet the pace of customer needs and focus on the German and European markets.”
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
Don't have an account? Sign Up
Signing up to Fastener + Fixing Magazine enables you to manage your account details.
