Hollister values the support and services received in Breda
Hollister, the US developer and producer of medical care products launched its European distribution center in Etten-Leur back in 2008. It currently employs 60 staff and services customers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, the UK and Switzerland. It further supports distribution to Spain, Italy, The Nordic countries and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Hollister is world-renowned in the field of medical products for ostomy care, continence care and wound treatment. Its mission is to help medical professionals provide better products and services to improve their patients’ quality of life. The company started developing and manufacturing innovative medical products in 1948, and now services more than ninety countries worldwide. Medical products are manufactured in Ireland, Denmark, US and India and distributed by a worldwide network of offices and distribution centers. Hollister’s activities place great demands on logistical operations.
Hollister formulated its logistics plans in 2005, at which time the company was managing European distribution from centers in Germany and the UK. Many potential sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and northwestern France were placed under the microscope.
We quickly discovered that Brabant is a logistical dream. Its location between the major ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp is ideal. We also have two international airports within close proximity, in Amsterdam and Brussels, and we are relatively close to Germany, England and France where our main clients are based.
Hugh Berry - Hollister
Labor costs, work ethics, workforce flexibility and building costs strengthened Brabant’s position. For an international company like Hollister, communication in English is very important. The high degree of proficient English spoken in the Netherlands and Brabant was a key factor in ensuring that “the locations in other countries disappeared from Hollister’s radar.”
The site in Etten-Leur supplies Hollister’s customers throughout Europe. The company has invested approximately € 15 million in the distribution center. Concentrating distribution on one center delivered long-term cost savings. In 2013 the distribution center expanded further its activities by installing a mezzanine floor.
The support and services that Hollister received from regional development associations, the government and other service providers have contributed to the successful opening of their European distribution center in 2008. “And after eight years in Etten-Leur we can say the choice of Brabant was the right one.” Hugh Berry says.
The role played by the BOM was invaluable, he explains: “You would not believe the amount of knowledge that BOM has, and the networks that it facilitated our access to. BOM pointed us towards a number of engineering companies, of which we eventually chose Groenewout. They supervised the entire organization of the construction. The municipal government was also extremely cooperative regarding the land transaction and permits. They all did an excellent job.”