Excellent article in a recent Suplly Chain Management Review about the 7 keys to facility location : http://www.scmr.com/article/CA6558638.html?rssid=68

I totally agree in the fact that computer models can’t do everything and that a visit, on site, is the best complement. Local Development agencies (like the one I work in) can help in “humanizing” the location models: we help companies to visit the potential sites (buildings or lands) for their future facility and most of all, to meet the right partners and connexions locally. This service is pre-paid by the regions, or area, the development agency covers, so…. it’s worth the try and is much complementary to the classical computer models !

This is the nice story of a carrier who knows what he wants and how to obtain it.

The DERET group has obtained the approval of the city of Laval and the county council of Mayenne to develop a logistic platform (rail and road) at Argentré (on the eastern side of Laval, in between Rennes and Le Mans) and above all to have two major road constructions:
. a highway exit
. a rail connection

DERET group will use 60ha first. The group is located in Orleans (further east) and is strongly developping itself. more information : http://www.deret.fr/

Good combination of industry and local authorities !

This new tool called the Logistics IT Decision Support Tool will help you find the right provider. You can search by platform, industry, RFID/wireless capability and solution (CRM, SCM, ERP/MRP, SRM, WMS, etc.) to save time.

Check it out on http://www.inboundlogistics.com/lit/lit100.shtml

April 2007: +11 000 sq.meters are planned for the LE ROY logistic platform of Les Herbiers, in Western France. The investment is about 5 million euros. Les Herbiers is located along highway A87 in between La Roche sur Yon and Angers.

The LE ROY group has its head office in Rennes and employs about 400 persons with 90 000 sq.meters of warehouses over 13 sites in France. Its turnover is about 70 million euros.

In English

In French

the official video :

I just came back from the SITL in Paris (International logistics solutions show) where I prospected for the regions of Pays de la Loire and Poitou-Charentes. I was surprised (and happy !) to see that the western part of France is becoming an increasingly interesting region for new investors. The historical line (Lille, Paris, Lyon, Marseille) being crowded, the western part of France offers a good intermediary solution for new investors.

my figures as an FDI advisor ? : 10 meetings with potential investors with projects on a short, medium or long term basis and many, many good contacts. I admit that there was a very good attendance at the show. If the long edition (the SITL mixes every other year a short and a long edition) is as interesting as the short one, 2008 promises to be pretty good.

Were you there ?

February 2007: ProLogis has signed an agreement to acquire a 79-acre (32-hectare) property from Michelin in the French city of Poitiers. The parcel is the site of a recently closed Michelin manufacturing plant. ProLogis will build a 344,000-square-foot (32,000-squaremeter) distribution center on the property, which Michelin will use to serve markets in France and other countries in Europe under a multi-year lease.
Full press release click here 

I will attend the SITL (international logistics solutions show) in Paris at the end of March. My job as an FDI advisor is to detect, contact and meet future investors. I just ended phase 1 and am starting phase 2.

website of the SITL event

Supply chain has a lot to do with supermarket : Tesco (the UK’s largest supermarket chain) is often mentionned as the company that has the strongest business model as far as supply chain is concerned. Why is this business model so unique ? Why not using it locally on the French territory ? If people know about it, please leave a comment….