Actavis chose to concentrate its Scandinavian distribution in a new central storage facility in Copenhagen

Since Actavis centralised its Nordic distribution in a completely new, modern central storage facility in Copenhagen distribution costs have been cut by 20-25 per cent, the flow of goods has been significantly simplified, and planning and customer service greatly optimised.

Actavis is the fourth largest company on the world market for copy medicines. Six years ago this Icelandic-owned company employed a staff of 140 on Iceland. Today Actavis has over 10,000 staff and over 20 factories in 32 countries around the world.

“This explosive growth was making distribution and planning increasingly complicated and costly,” explains René Vestergaard-Hansen, Operative Manager for the company’s new Principal Trading Centre (PTC) facility in Copenhagen, which has been established with the stated intention of handling centralised distribution. “Before this move, we had goods and invoices flying back and forwards between our various factories and storage facilities and across borders. It was proving too expensive and unmanageable.
 
“One problem was that we were operating with many different distributors. So instead we decided to go with one distributor. We chose Nomeco and through them we now have a completely new, modern central storage facility with space for 15,000 pallets and a staff of 15 in the former warehouse of Danish company NKT just south of Copenhagen. All goods destined for Scandinavia are sent here for further distribution.
 
Copenhagen a central location    
Actavis chose to place its central storage facility in Copenhagen because of its central location in Scandinavia and in relation to the rest of Europe.

“Copenhagen is centrally located and the infrastructure is very good. Whether despatching by air, sea, rail or road, it can all be done out of Copenhagen,” says René Vestergaard-Hansen. “In addition, in my experience Danish workers are more flexible than Swedes and Norwegians. And the same is true of labour market regulations, which did not leave much doubt in our minds when we chose Copenhagen.