ByBox, the UK's leading in-night parts and equipment distribution company, has just launched its new operation in France with plans to do the same in Belgium and Holland in the near future.
Based on the highly successful UK model, ByBox' new operation in France launched June 1st under the leadership of Mark Garritt. Working from its hub near Orly, ByBox SAS starts with an infrastructure comprising 43 PUDOs, 103 box sites and six field stores around the country.
The Euro 5 million investment has already landed ByBox SAS a number of new customers. As with the UK model, ByBox SAS will be targeting those key business sectors where getting urgent parts and equipment to field service engineers is paramount. Currently, they include telecoms, electronics, utilities, vending, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, catering, reprographics, media and materials handling.
Companies using ByBox SAS will benefit from access to the highest levels of technology in the industry to-date, to ensure their urgently needed parts ordered one day will be transported overnight and deposited in the drop boxes ready for collection by field service staff by 8.00am the following morning.
Customers of the ByBox SAS operation also have the facility to have their stock collected from suppliers on a just in time basis, and take advantage of the company's stock holding option, which reduces or removes the needs for customer own warehousing.
Importantly, every part is tracked from collection to delivery using the innovative ThinventoryTM supply chain management system developed by ByBox.
Commenting on the launch of ByBox SAS, European Managing Director, Mark Garritt said: "The ByBox business model has been a huge success in the UK and we have been looking to transpose it to the Continent and develop its potential.
"France was the obvious place to start as ByBox owns Logibag, the leading manufacturer of dropboxes, whose factory in Le Mans has output 54,000 units since 1986 and, as well as supplying the Group, also supplies leading postal authorities such as La Poste with whom the company has been working for the past three years.
"The key to the new service is its high level of technology that underscores the ByBox philosophy to move the data rather than the part. In practical terms, this means customers can cost effectively meet all their supply chain needs through a single platform and considerably improve the efficiency and response of their field service teams. They also have the comfort of knowing the service will continue to improve, as 10% of all ByBox SAS' income will be reinvested in technology. Indeed the company is one of only four which makes the same level of investment in technology in Europe
"We have already attracted a number of high profile companies wishing to take advantage of our unique service which will continue to develop and expand as its benefits become more widely known," he adds.
ByBox plans for Europe do not stop there. A further £1 million pounds is already being invested in Belgian and Dutch operations, with the service in Belgium set for launch in October, and Holland due to go live in the first quarter of 2009. Meanwhile, operations in Italy, Spain and Scandinavia are at an advanced planning stage.