The kick-off for a great partnership between Kempf and KNAPP was the signing of a contract in summer 2011 for the construction of a semi-automatic empties sorting system. The Offenburg installation was planned as a pioneering reference project for the empties management sector within the beverage industry. The constantly growing assortment variety in the beverage industry and the steady high level of reusables demanded a professional solution for empties management.
“At A. Kempf Getränkegroßhandel GmbH, we are convinced that beverage reusables will continue to play an important role. Our parent company EDEKA is clearly committed to reusables and is leading the way along, led by the success of this product group in our supply territory. Differentiation, including reusables, is an anchor point from which we can continue to build economic success for us and our customers,” explained Christian Melchior, Division Manager, A. Kempf Getränkegroßhandel GmbH.
Kempf therefore set the goal of sustainably increasing the service level for all Kempf and EDEKA customers. Therefore KNAPP developed the concept with Kempf to provide the following advantages for the customers:
- Transparent processes and real-time, precise crediting of the deposit values on a bottle basis for all the local stores.
- Securing a reliable partner for modern, efficient beverage crate sorting
- Dimensioning for future growth
- Capacity for dynamic adaptation to the fast-changing conditions in the beverage market
- Realizing a reasonable degree of automation
The partnership continued after the startup of the empties sorting system in Offenburg and, in February 2014, ground-breaking for the next shared project in Heddesheim followed. A further milestone for the partnership was the startup on May 1, 2015. The project realization was exemplary and ahead of schedule – a testimony to the expert, professional cooperation, as well as optimal interpersonal communication,” declared Christian Brauneis, Business Development Reusables Management Solutions at KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH, about the positive results.
With the current negotiations for the Balingen location, Kempf and KNAPP are already thinking ahead: software for booking deposits is planned and will be realized within the next two years. After several years of working with KNAPP Christian Melchior is truly pleased: “This partnership is a definite fit! If you are looking for a dedicated, hard-working and innovative partner for empties logistics, who is equally flexible, capable and fair, look no further than KNAPP.”
About A. Kempf Getränkegroßhandel GmbH
Company: 100% subsidiary of EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Südwest mbH
Sector: Beverage logistics service provider for the Edeka LEH in the southwest
Locations: Offenburg, Balingen and Heddesheim, Germany
Delivery: More than 300,000 cases daily
Beverage articles: 2,200 per location
Employees: 800
Annual revenue 2014: € 487 million
About KNAPP
KNAPP AG is a global market leader among suppliers of intralogistic all-in-one solutions and automated warehouse systems. Customers from all over the world in industries such as pharmaceuticals, fashion, retail, food and industry trust in the experience and innovative power of the KNAPP AG. In the past fiscal year, the KNAPP AG with 2,800 employees generated a turnover of 466 million euros.