Bombardier Inaugurates New Worldwide Distribution Center

Bombardier Aerospace earlier this month marked the grand opening of its high-volume 238,000-square-foot aircraft parts distribution warehouse in Chicago, Ill. The company said the new facility offers operators of both Bombardier business jets and regional airliners worldwide greater speed, accuracy and quality of service than ever before. “The inauguration of our Chicago parts distribution hub is the result of a significant investment in systems and infrastructure over the past 18 months designed to provide our customers with an industry-leading level of service,” said Desmond Bell, vice-president, parts logistics, Bombardier Aerospace. The facility is strategically located at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, operates around the clock and features an inventory of over 120,000 unique parts. “This is a major step in our drive to improve parts availability, quality and delivery speed, and, rather than an end point, it’s just the beginning,” Bell added. Parts from worldwide suppliers and from Bombardier’s manufacturing sites and former warehouses in Wichita and Detroit will be housed at the new facility. Once the distribution center reaches full capacity this autumn, Bombardier says it expects to ship between 800 and 1,000 orders each day. Eventually, the facility will employ 200 full-time personnel, including several key employees previously located at the Wichita and Detroit facilities. The new Chicago operation and a similar facility in Frankfurt, Germany, are the foundation for Bombardier’s newly redesigned parts logistics network. Both warehouses are managed under a long-term contract through Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc. Additionally, Bombardier will open new spare parts depots in Dubai, UAE, this autumn, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2006.