MAUMEE, Ohio – Dana Holding Corp. has opened a new distribution center in Gÿor, Hungary, marking the first step in the company’s plans to establish a global aftermarket distribution network.
 
The 65,000-square-foot facility, which shipped its first order this month, is expected to be fully operational on Feb. 1. The facility will ship and receive replacement parts for Dana’s automotive, commercial-vehicle and off-highway markets using an industry-leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, according to the company.
 
Parts will primarily arrive from six Dana production facilities in Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Spain, and will then be shipped to service and distribution centers throughout Europe.
 
“We are focused on building our distribution capabilities to best service our customers globally,” said Dana President and CEO Roger Wood.  “In addition to the Gÿor facility, we also plan to open regional distribution centers in Mexico and China in 2012. This expanded network will enable us to more efficiently meet the growing demand for our aftermarket products and will offer our customers access to Dana’s entire inventory.”
 
Along with Dana’s existing distribution center in Crossville, Tenn., the new facilities will be connected by a new Dana ERP system for the aftermarket that includes an improved online ordering system at DanaMATE.com. The company says this upgraded system offers customers the ability to place and track the real-time status of their orders. The ERP system delivers better service by improving delivery speeds and allowing customers more visibility into and control of the ordering process.
 
“The demand for our service products has increased, creating the need to improve our distribution network to match this growth,” Wood added. “By expanding our online services, opening these new distribution centers and managing the entire process with Dana facilities and people, we are advancing Dana’s goal to increase our aftermarket business to 20 percent of our annual sales.”