COREP: The Story It was just south of Bordeaux, in the city of Bègles, where Alain Petit founded COREP in 1970. The company, where Mr Petit still retains the role of CEO, is now known throughout France as a byword for decorative lighting.

Employing around 250 people across their head office and three divisions in France, as well as three branches in India, Portugal and Ukraine, COREP has generated more than half of its production output over the past 40 years in its native France. In December 2015, COREP relocated and then started renovating and expanding their production space. These renovations will bring the capacity of the warehouse to 25,000m², with shelving up to 9.8m high.

The factory, which is mostly automated, operates on a just-in-time basis, with a potential production level of over 10,000 units per day. This enables COREP to export their products all over the world and guarantees quality and efficiency of service. In addition, the constantly updated quality controls that are put in place have made it possible to install a fully computerised logistics system with the aim of optimizing COREP’s presence amongst the major players of the large retail industry (supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialist superstores, DIY superstores, etc).

The success of this business rests equally on its investment in research and development. COREP employs a specific team of qualified staff whose task is to study new targeted trends in accordance with their different types of client, so that they are able to offering cutting-edge solutions in both an aesthetic and technological sense. Take for example the introduction of LED lighting which, thanks to its excellent technical characteristics and impressive energy efficiency, has brought about major development projects and presence in new markets, by optimising the cost to consumption ratio.

Handling Needs: Yale Responds The collaboration between COREP and Yale stems from a clear need by COREP for handling and materials storage. The aim was to optimize space and time and for Yale, it was to provide a more functional customer service. But what are the real dynamics of COREP?

Following the opening of its branches in India, Ukraine and Portugal, the logistics unit of the French company receives about 400 containers per year of finished product loads that are stored on racks, after being palletized, packaged and unloaded manually.

The operation then ends with new shipping actions, which require the handling pallets to be in various docks and collection areas. The effectiveness of Yale® solutions allowed them to meet COREP’s materials handing needs in the following way:

– 3 pallet stackers, (the MS10, MS12AC and MS16AC series) – ideal for optimising storage in small spaces.

– 1 electric order picker (the MO20 series) for low-level orders. – 12 electric platform pallet trucks (MP20X series).

– 2 VNA trucks (MTC13 series), suitable for operation in very narrow aisles, allowing for an increased amount of racking in the warehouse.

The choice of VNA trucks rather than Reach trucks was made before the completion of the new warehouse, allowing for maximum freedom of decision in determining the placement of the storage lanes.

A visit to the Yale manufacturing plant in Masate (Milan, Italy), enabled COREP to experience and enjoy the helpfulness and competence of the staff. The visit also provided the opportunity to not only witness the application of the forklifts first-hand, but to also personally test them as well as studying their application through a configurator. The choice of VNA trucks was deemed the most suitable because they resolve the problems of movement between the lanes, making work flows and orders handling more agile and functional.

From Yale to COREP: A Winning Distribution Network

The decision of Yale becoming a supplier to the COREP fleet was also determined by the role of Fabre Manutention, a family-owned business founded about 75 years ago, who have specialised in the marketing of forklift trucks for 45 years. Belonging to the Convenant Group (800 employees with a total turnover of about 294 million Euros), Fabre Manutention has its headquarters in Bordeaux Bruges and three branches in Angoulême, Agen and Niort. It exclusively manages the Yale brand for the entire South-West market in France.

COREP has an historical relationship with Fabre Manutention, based on over 30 years of great human and professional esteem that always guarantees the customer the greatest care and after sales service (SAV – Service après-vente) possible.

Thanks to both the technical and logistical expertise demonstrated by Yale’s French dealer in their knowledge of warehouse trucks, COREP could rely on the quality of Yale products and establish itself as a first customer in the region to be equipped with a series of VNA trucks.

Amongst the characteristics that have greatly contributed to the COREP’s choice of Yale VNA trucks as the best solution to their needs are the truck’s easiness of use and reliability, the ergonomics of the driving cabin, the robustness and the comfort of the seating position, the reversing function and the differential hydraulic unit between the lifting and traction sections. This is of course not forgetting the constant assistance of Fabre Manutention, who can claim an influential reference in the Bèglesbased company, as well as an excellent showcase for the use of the VNA truck and other Yale product series.

YALE

www.yale.com

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