On Wednesday, Caterpillar employees, executives, dealers and customers, along with local dignitaries, celebrated the grand opening of the company’s new parts distribution centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The MEDC will further strengthen aftermarket parts support in the East-Africa and Middle East region.
The facility will also serve as a regional office for employees from other Caterpillar service groups. The MEDC joins new distribution centres in Waco, Texas (2009), Clayton, Ohio (2011), Spokane, Washington and Arvin, California (2012). In addition, construction is underway for new distribution centres in Queensland, Australia, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
“We are very pleased to be adding the Middle-East Distribution Centre to our industry leading global parts network,” said Steve Larson, Caterpillar Vice President with responsibility for parts distribution and logistics, and President of Caterpillar Logistics Services. “With the outstanding product support capability of Cat dealers in the region and the improved parts availability this operation will deliver, we will continue providing customers an unmatched level of after-sale support.”
The MEDC will increase total warehouse capacity for the Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) network, adding to existing Distribution Centres in Grimbergen, Johannesburg and Moscow. “We are excited about our overall growth opportunities in the Middle East and Africa markets and, along with our dealers, are investing in expanding our facilities,” said Nigel Lewis, Caterpillar Vice President with responsibility for EAME Distribution. “The Middle-East Distribution Centre is the first of a number of investments we are making in the region that will allow us to improve parts and components availability and the delivery process to our dealers and customers.”
The facility will also contribute to Caterpillar’s sustainable development goals by reducing airfreight for parts ordered in the region. “We are delighted to be a part of the opening of Caterpillar’s new Parts Distribution Centre in Jafza. Caterpillar’s expansion underlines the company’s vision and commitment to the region,” said Her Excellency Mrs Salma Ali Saif Bin Hareb, Chief Commercial Officer of Economic Zones World & Jafza.
The MEDC is an important part of Caterpillar’s overall plan to enhance the global Cat Parts distribution network and get parts to dealers and customers faster. Since the inception of this plan eight years ago, capacity has been added in every region with the opening of the China Distribution Centre in Shanghai in 2006, the Russia Federation Distribution Centre in Moscow in 2007, the Waco Distribution Centre in Texas in 2009, the Clayton Distribution Centre in Ohio in 2011 and the Spokane and California Distribution Centres in 2012.
