SSI Schaefer was established by Fritz Schaefer in Germany in 1937. The early years revolved around the manufacture of steel products and the business enjoyed rapid growth before the four Schaefer brothers took over management and drove further expansion through the 1950s.
Still a family-owned business, the company is now the UK and world’s leading provider of automated materials handling equipment, integrated storage solutions and IT systems, with products ranging from plastic totes to high bay pallet warehouses. The organisation offers expertise in the design, build, installation and maintenance of major, and often bespoke, production and distribution centre operations across a broad spectrum of commercial and industrial sectors.
WLN – As a top Conveyors & Sortation supplier, what have conditions been like in the past year for your business?
We have enjoyed sustained organic growth, which is expected to continue into 2017 and a considerable number of projects, both large and small, have ensured our resources have been utilised to the full.
WLN – How have recent international developments affected you and how have you responded?
Let’s not be coy. You’re referring, of course, to ‘Brexit’. We are in the business of supplying efficient materials handling and storage solutions to a very diverse customer base, across a wide range of market sectors. This enables us to spread the risk of any economic impact which may be brought about by changes in the political landscape. In the short term we have not experienced any significant adverse effects on our operation but we are dependent upon our customers’ business success and there is evidence to suggest that some of the larger organisations, reliant on international trade, are postponing proposed operational developments until a clearer picture emerges.
WLN – What are your flagship products and services?
SSI Schaefer has a long history in the supply of storage equipment. For more than 75 years we have been actively involved in developing systems which enable us to provide our customers with solutions specifically tailored to the storage of both unique and generic products. Our core products are based on simple pallet racking and shelving storage systems and metal and plastic containers. Supplying solutions which automate the storage and retrieval of products within these systems – specifically conveyors, pallet and miniload cranes, matrix-based shuttles and automatic picking – have been essential developments as customers strive to make their operations more efficient. To complement this, we supply our own warehouse management and control software and integration of other system-related products.
WLN – What makes you the ‘go to’ supplier in your category?
A number of factors combine to give us a clear advantage over our competitors, not least the ability to deliver fully integrated, end-to-end solutions using proven systems manufactured entirely by ourselves, from our extensive product portfolio. For our customers this means fewer integration headaches, faster installation times and shorter lines of communication as a result of dealing with just one company. Also our stability as a long-established business and our experience and expertise in problemsolving over the years are viewed as important attributes by prospective customers.
WLN – How do you help customers improve their business performance?
We accomplish this by helping them to operate more efficiently. While automation obviously plays a significant role in reducing labour overheads we also offer advice on space-saving and we supply storage systems which allow our customers to better utilise the space they currently have, increasing storage density and reducing the utility overhead.
WLN – How have you changed your offering to customers in the last 12 months and why? Have you added anything new?
Yes. Continuing on developing the spacesaving theme, we have developed and introduced a new LogiMat vertical lift machine, which is more energy efficient and with better ergonomics than its predecessor. Occupying only a small footprint it makes use of the vertical space within a building and works on the good-to-man principle of picking product. In addition to this, we have a new family of shuttle-based, fully automated dense storage systems with rapid access for pallets, trays, totes and cartons which come into their own where land and labour costs are at a premium.
WLN – Have you made any enhancements to your customer service?
Yes indeed. We have considerably strengthened our CSS (Customer Service & Support) department and taken on new premises to accommodate it. This has arisen partly as a result of increasing our customer base and partly as a conscious decision to offer the best possible service to our clients. As such, we are continuing to enhance and improve this very important aspect of our business.
WLN – Which markets are your customers in? Which ones are growing fastest?
As already stated, we operate across a broad spectrum of market sectors, comprising a very diverse set of customers and operations. Straddling this, of course, is the e-commerce revolution which has prompted many of our customers to rethink the way they operate.
WLN – Can you name some of your major customers and tell us what do you do for them?
Across the three divisions in SSI Schaefer UK we have a varied customer base ranging from every day high street names, to less well known – but no less important – small business operations handling a multitude of products in locations across the UK. We have designed and installed bespoke systems for these customers ranging from high bay Warehouses to Racking and Shelving based solutions. In most instances the ability to integrate a wide variety of inhouse produced technologies plays a significant role in a successful project for both the Customer and SSI Schaefer.
WLN – What’s been your most memorable recent project?
This would be the delivery of our largestever multi-tier and high-bay shelving installation in the UK to online retailer, Wiggle, at their new National Distribution Centre in the West Midlands. Although this phased project is nearing completion, the layout and flexibility of the system ensures future business growth can be accommodated and allows the company to react quickly and effectively to the growing demands of the e-commerce boom.
WLN – What were your other major achievements in the last 12 months?
Most recently, the launch of our new Weasel AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) in Europe scooped the IFOY (International Forklift of the Year) Award – one the most coveted prizes in the logistics industry and now bears the title of “Intralogistics Solution of the Year”. The Award was presented during the opening ceremony of the CeMAT trade fair on 31st May in Hanover.
WLN – Are you branching into any new areas, targeting new customers and taking on more people?
Yes, we will be targeting new customers across the board and we anticipate further growth in our business in terms of headcount, with IT and Customer Service Departments accounting for a significant proportion of this.
WLN – How important is staff development and training to your growth?
Great emphasis is placed upon staff development and training. We feel this is extremely important, not only from the aspect of being able to deliver high quality customer service from an experienced knowledge base but also from a safety aspect. Operating safely and building a safe working environment is paramount to our business and it’s also important for our employees to feel confident and happy about the roles they fulfil.
WLN – Looking ahead, what factors do you see affecting your business? How are you turning these into opportunities?
The continuing and rapid growth of ecommerce continues to provide challenges for a significant part of our customer base. As a partner, we can offer our clients modular, scalable solutions which allow their operations to diversify and grow, without having to resort to drastically changing their systems to accommodate new products and business growth, fully supported by our in-house developed software capabilities.
WLN – Which major trade shows and other industry events are you involved in over the next year?
We aim to have a presence at at least six events throughout the year, all of which historically have proven productive for us. In 2017 these will include both Southern and Northern Manufacturing & Electronics, The British Frozen Food Federation Annual Conference & Exhibition, The Total Supply Chain Summit, Logistics Leaders Supply Chain and Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution. We will also be organising our own regional event at which we showcase our solutions in action at the distribution operation of a major customer.
WLN – What headline news from SSI Schaefer can our readers look forward to seeing in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2017?
It very much depends upon new product launches, acquisitions and contract announcements. Watch this space!
WLN – And finally, in our social media age, if you had to sum up your company in a 140-character tweet what would you say?
As a strong and reliable partner, SSI Schaefer’s intralogistics solutions are as unique as its customers are individual.
SSI SCHAEFER LIMITED
01264 386600
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