Manitowoc recently dedicated a new 141,000-square-foot Crane Care parts distribution center in Jeffersonville, Ind.

Pictured from left to right are Dave Hardin, vice president Manitowoc Crane Care, Americas; Steve Larson, president of Caterpillar Logistics Services; Eric Etchart, president and general manager Manitowoc Cranes; Dan Goodale, president Manitowoc Cranes Americas Dealer Council, Bob Hund, executive vice president Manitowoc Crane Care; and Dan Bradley, Cat Logistics Center manager.

Manitowoc Cranes last week dedicated a new Manitowoc Crane Care parts distribution center in Jeffersonville, Ind. The new 141,000-square-foot facility will consolidate parts distribution functions previously managed from warehouses in Manitowoc, Wis., Shady Grove, Pa., and Rockford, Ill.

“By streamlining parts distribution this way, we are helping improve our response time and reduce costs for our customers and dealers around the world, ultimately adding more value for our customers” said Bob Hund, executive vice president of Manitowoc Crane Care.

The new distribution center, which will be operated by Cat Logistics, will employ 40 people when fully operational at the end of this year. It will be responsible for more than 70,000 unique parts numbers. The new arrangement allows for multi-brand parts shipments to be combined, which saves time and lowers shipping costs.

The facility is located near Louisville, Ky., one of the largest air and ground shipping hubs in North America, enabling Manitowoc to extend cut-off time for dealers and customers to order parts to 10 p.m. eastern time. Also, 70 percent of Manitowoc’s North American customer base will be able to be reached within two days via ground transportation, a 50-percent increase. International customers will also benefit from faster air freight service, Manitowoc said.

“Our new distribution center represents a major commitment by Manitowoc,” said Hund. “And despite the economic difficulties throughout all aspects of the construction industry, we have stayed committed to the mission of consolidating our North American parts distribution because we understand that when a crane is down in the field, customers need parts as fast and economically as possible.”