On the road 33 www.aftermarketonline.net JULY/AUGUST 2024 with due reverence. From reception, I caught a sneak peek of the cavernous warehousing operation that would be the highlight of my site visit as staff slipped in and out through a side door. But ‘warehouse’ does not do this place justice as I found out when, once correctly-attired with regulatory helmet and protective clothing, I was finally ushered inside. Nerve centre I quickly dispelled my comparisons with 007 movie sets. For sci-fi afficionados, I can best describe the sight that met my eyes as ‘the Matrix meets the Tardis’, except that T2 appeared to be far, far bigger on the inside than the latter. As the pictures show, this was a finely-tuned city where, although it is the workplace of some 800 employees, their number appeared to be dwarfed, quite literally, by the digitalised, finetuned hubbub of activity of robots and machines that constantly zoom around this 1 million sq ft distribution centre. Automation is the lifeblood of T2’s nerve centre although the human workforce is there to ensure all runs smoothly in this highly efficient partnership. Dizzying heights are nothing to these bionic helpers as they lift boxes and pallets of all manner of auto parts and accessories into their correct place, ensuring everything is ready for despatch when required, while a vast array of systems keep their human colleagues informed of progress constantly, every second of the working day and night. To give an example of the operation involved, I was shown the arrival of just one pallet containing up to 1,300 oil filters. These were set to be checked and sorted and prepared for their onward destination, along with an infinite array of other products. T2 is more than a hub. It’s at the heart of the aftermarket supply chain, sourcing and distributing millions of products, processing and delivering in excess of 55,000 orders daily and serving 40,000-plus garages across the UK every week. More than 80% of orders placed with LKQ are over the phone. Those placed before 6pm are guaranteed for delivery by 6am the following morning. Sustainability In terms of its sustainability credentials, the company has a range of activities including recycling around 133 tonnes of cardboard packaging a month together with nine tonnes of clear plastic. In addition, around 33 tonnes of mixed metals are processed every month. LKQ is also adding solar power facilities to support its operations and stepping up the purchasing of electricity generated from renewables. LKQ Euro Car Parts group procurement director Anthony McAteer
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