New warehouse just outside Milan
During this period of economic downturn, GRUBER Logistics has not slowed down the implementation of its strategic plan. During the latest event held by the Contract Logistics Observatory of Politecnico di Milano, Marcello Corazzola, Managing Director of GRUBER Logistics, also outlined the key elements defining the company’s approach to the Italian logistics market: network expansion across the territory, social sustainability, and digitalization.
This strategy is already taking shape in these early months of 2021 through the opening of a first warehouse in Corteolona and Genzone (PV).
The new hub covers an area of 50,000 m2 dedicated to integrated logistics services. The warehouse is located south of Milan in a strategic position for north-south connections, effectively serving both the Milan metropolitan area and the Piacenza area. Thanks to its size, a clear height of fourteen meters, and an area dedicated to packing and value-added activities, the warehouse stands out as one of the region’s main third-party logistics infrastructures and a benchmark for logistics in Milan.
Regarding the topic of digitalization, the hub will indeed be one of the primary warehouses where GRUBER Logistics will test deep learning solutions and predictive analytics aimed at supporting the production planning of its customers. To date, an initial phase of big data collection and analysis is underway, which will be followed during 2021 and the first half of 2022 by field testing of the developed solutions.
The topic of social sustainability in logistics is a central issue on our country’s political agenda, where over the years indirect staff recruitment has often been used as leverage to drive down prices at the expense of workers, resulting in strikes and warehouse closures. Building on its experience in other European contexts, GRUBER has introduced in Italy a new logistics personnel management system characterized by direct hiring, transparency towards clients, flexibility, and ongoing training.