Bito-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH celebrates 50 years of successful business in the storage and handling industry
Bito-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH with their headquarters in Meisenheim (Germany), looks ahead with optimism despite the currently difficult economic environment. “At present, we have to deal with a 20% drop in incoming orders,“ says BITO’s managing director Detlef Ganz on the occasion of a press event celebrating their 50 anniversary as provider of storage and handling products. According to his assessment, this drop is due to the fact that at present there are only few bigger projects on offer on the market. However, compared to the cutback rates of other companies, BITO registers a moderate decrease only which, according to Ganz, can be attributed to the broad range of products and services.
„Our broad range suits customers from very diverse industries with very different requirements.” Moreover, BITO has expanded the distribution network to cover the whole of Europe. “Thanks to this strategy, BITO still receives enough orders to achieve a satisfactory to high capacity utilisation ratio of our plants in Meisenheim and in Lauterecken“, continues Ganz. “We therefore do not have a reason to be pessimistic. We know from talks with our customers that most investments have only been postponed. We assume that many of these projects will be realised in 2010.” Last year, we achieved a turnover of 150 million EUR with some 740 employees. This is a plus in turnover of 20% compared to 2007 and a 5% increase in the number of employees. Already in 2007, the company grew by 25% as compared to the previous year and was able to provide 60 new jobs.
Focus on quality
- In March 50 years ago, BITO-Lagertechnik – then located in Weierbach, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) – started to produce steel sheet bins.
High quality, innovation and safety. BITO has set the bar high for product development and production. The BITO product range includes shelving and racking, bins and containers, workshop and safety equipment for storage and order picking systems. In close cooperation with the customer, the storage and handling specialist BITO provides the optimum solution for almost any requirement and any industry, thus supporting the customer to accelerate the flow of goods, streamline workflow and make logistic processes more efficient. Within the past 50 years, BITO has turned into a single source supplier and a leading specialist in the industry. On the one hand, this success is based on the above-average quality of BITO products which is monitored and maintained by regular in-house inspection as well as tests by independent quality control associations. On the other hand, the company can rely on highly motivated employees with above-average qualification. For this reason, at BITO, great importance is attached to professional education and ample support is given to employees seeking further professional training. BITO also encourages joint activities, promotes healthy living and and makes a point of ergonomic workplaces.
BITO can look back on a long tradition of innovation
At BITO, innovation has been a priority at all times. The company which was founded in 1845 by Leopold Bittmann in Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) first produced
decorative articles and fittings for the leather industry. Moreover, the company “Leopold
Bittmann“ was known as a manufacturer of jointless spheres about which Leopold Bittmann said „We take a round hole and put steel sheet around”. The spheres were used for decoration purposes such as for high-quality wrought-iron stairway railing and fences. Three generations later, the company re-oriented and focussed production on storage and handling requirements. 50 years ago, with today’s owner Fritz August Bittmann taking over the management, BITO started to produce the first steel bin in Oberstein/Weiherbach. The product range was soon enlarged by boltless and bolted shelving, small parts shelving and wire-mesh box pallets. In 1976, BITO manufactured their first live storage racking which marked the company’s successful entry into the order picking sector. In the following years, BITO continued to extend their product portfolio by boltless shelving (1980), pallet racking (1981), pallet live storage racking (1983), storage bins with pick opening (1989) and storage and handling bins (1990). In 1991, the company relocated their headquarters to Meisenheim. In the same year, BITO launched the universal beam for shelving and racking. The multi-purpose container series “MB” which was developped in 1994 won several awards and has been convincing customers from all countries. In the years to come, BITO has launched the small parts container series „KLT“, the stacking container series „XL“ in Euro footprint as well as other bin series while continuously optimising their shelving and racking products. Today, the company counts among the few single source suppliers in the storage and handling market.
BITO grew from a supplier of components to a full service provider
- Since 1991, the company is headquartered in Meisenheim, Rhineland-Palatinate
BITO does not only supply individual storage and handling components. The company also plans and realises storage and order picking projects – the range includes complex and state-of-the-art storage facilities integrating several storage systems as well as automatically serviced storage and order picking facilities for bins and trays. All products relating to a project are supplied from a single source – to the benefit of the customer who can rely on competent advice from the BITO experts. Moreover, the BITO teams are pleased to assist customers in planning, developing and realising storage and order picking projects. Particulary demanding or customer specific solutions can be tested in BITO’s in-house research centre equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities. Last but not least, the storage and handling specialist BITO also takes charge of delivery, professional assembly and proper start-up of the installation.
BITO’s comprehensive list of blue chip customers proves that BITO products and services live up to their customers high expectations. BITO’s reference list includes national and international brands such as EDEKA, VW, Audi, BMW, Opel, Porsche and Toyota, John Deere, Moeller Electric, Lancaster, L’Oreal, Sanacorp, Office Depot, C&A, DM Drogeriemarkt and many more.
International orientation
The foundation of the company’s first subsidiary in Switzerland in 1984 marked the beginning of BITO’s expansion in Europe. In the following years, further subsidiaries were set up in France, the Benelux countries, Great Britain, Spain and Denmark. In 2003, another subsidiary was established in Hungary as well as a distribution agency in Italy, followed by further branch offices in Eastern Europe. Today, the BITO group counts 15 subsidiaries and several partnerships in Europe. In 2007, BITO has set up a shelving and racking production plant and a distribution joint venture in India with their partner Nilkamal in order to supply the Indian and Middle East markets. In 2008, BITO founded a subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.
(Press Release of BITO Storage Systems)
Press Contact:
BITO-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH
Silvia Feder
Obertor 29
55590 Meisenheim
Germany
Tel: +49 (0)67 53-1 22-0
Fax: +49(0) 67 53-1 22-3 99
E-mail: fes(at)bito.de
