Weiling Lonsee: targets for the first year achieved

On 29 May 2011 the organic wholesaler Weiling organized for the first time an in-house trade fair at the new logistics centre in Lonsee near Ulm. A good 680 visitors registered to come and see the 150 exhibitors and to look round the new buildings. After a year and four months, entrepreneur Bernd Weiling is positive about the new location, even though the warehouse and administration building are currently operating at about a third of capacity. The founder of the company points out that they have consciously built not with today but tomorrow in mind. (Picture: Interested visitors)

With 150 exhibitors (an area of 3,000 m²), there were only 30 fewer companies at the new Weiling location in Lonsee-Luizhausen than last autumn at the company headquarters in Coesfeld. Nearly all the important suppliers, from the far north to a number of regional firms who don’t exhibit in Coesfeld, were present. “The manufacturers are acknowledging the fact that we’re here now,” said Bernd Weiling. He is very happy with what they have achieved since moving in at the end of January (see our earlier report): “In Lonsee in 2011, we’re expecting turnover of between 27 and 30 million euros, and that will mean we’ve achieved one of our targets.” He pointed out that five years ago, they didn’t have a single customer in the south of Germany. Now Weiling is supplying 178 businesses from its warehouse in Lonsee. In 2011, the company as a whole is anticipating that turnover will grow by 16 % to 135 million euros.

The views of the exhibitors regarding this first trade fair at the new premises were predominantly positive.Many of them praised the customary professional organization and the service. “The organizers have thought through this event down to the last detail and they’ve taken good care of us exhibitors,” said Siegfried Hermann from Kipepeo (picture) in appreciation of a service team that came round regularly to ask what they would like to drink. “Weiling never neglects the social side, and I really do appreciate that,” added Hermann.

A number of company representatives were pleasantly surprised at the interest and the openness of the ‘southern Germans’. “The mentality is very congenial and the intensity of the discussions is very pleasing,” was how Katrin Augustin from the Obsthof Augustin near Hamburg summed up her experience. She welcomed Weiling’s expansion into the south of Germany: “That was a logical step, because there’s a lot of potential.” Sales manager Heike Bahrs from Pilzgarten was also pleased with the customers present in Lonsee: “The reponse is much better we expected for a first fair in a new location – the visitors are very open-minded and inquisitive.”

Ursula Stübner from Heuschrecke (picture on left with Heinz-Dieter Gasper) was struck by the high proportion of women present: “Obviously women are in the driver’s seat here. A lively crowd,” she remarked. Lisa Schwarz from Bohlsener Mühle noticed quite a few interested customers who are not yet customers of Weiling. The fair at Lonsee met their expectations to the full. For the Steinofenbäcker (picture on right), attending the fair meant both cultivating customers relations and gaining new customers. His staff on the stand said that the bakery goods supplier, who has been working with Weiling for 25 years, had made a lot of very promising customer contacts.

It’s true that the number of visitors (580) was far lower than in Coesfeld. However, 210 shops attended – more customers than are currently being supplied. Weiling had prepared the ground well in advance: potential customers and the shops in the new supply territory were approached up to seven times and invited to the fair. The future objectives are clear – to fill Lonsee with life and to fully utilize the storage capacity, it’s necessary to get more shops on board and to build up collaboration with regional suppliers. At the moment, however, given the good state of the organic market, Bernd Weiling doesn’t see any danger of companies being sqeezed out of business in the wholesale trade. (Picture: Company founder Bernd Weiling and the manager of Weiling Süd Henrik Hauser are confident about the future)

The task of about 50 employees under the management team of Henrik Hauser and Andrea Muffert (Weiling’s daughter) (picture) is gaining new customers and ensuring that the logistics function optimally. They work in the 15,000 m² warehouse and in the administration of Weiling-Süd on the new industrial estate Lonsee-Luizhausen. “We’re specialists and we try to ensure excellent logistics,” stresses Bernd Weiler. However, they have another priority, namely planning specialist shops and, together with other companies, creating new locations. They also train shopkeepers and provide them with modern professional tools in the form of quality products, well planned shops and attractive marketing materials. “Competence and background stories to good authentic products, that’s what’s important for the future of our partners,” says the founder of the company, who is proud of the Weiling academy and the wide selection of goods in his product range, especially wine and cheese.

Bernd Weiling continues to reject the idea of creating his own network of shops – which is what some of his competitors are doing. “We prefer slower growth to competing with our customers.” And he doesn’t forget to emphasise how successful this strategy is. Last year, it brought the company a rise in turnover of 13 % and in 2011 it is likely to produce growth of 16 %. Our main focus is on offering our customers the best possible efficiency and outstanding service. He is emphatic: “For us, the shops are at the centre of everything.” (Picture: Image poster: Onwards and upwards)

Bernd Weiling is convinced that the investment in the Lonsee premises is an investment in the future. First, although an entrepreneur of mature years, he is not thinking of giving up: “They can expect to see me around for another ten years.” Second, by staffing important roles in the company with family members or close associates, he has ensured continuity in the business. And finally, his mission to further develop the qualified, quality-orientated specialist wholefood trade has not yet been fulfilled, although he does already perceive a positive effect created by this second location on the existing landscape of the specialist trade. (Picture: A lot of space for expansion in the high-stack warehouse)

Acquiring new retailers is currently down to people willing to found new enterprises, although in future the wholesale company itself would be more willing to be involved in developing new stores. The results in 2010: 29 redesign, launch and expansion projects (about 5,000 m²), and 12 optimisation projects to secure around 1,300 m² of retail space. A service that proves its worth, since 37 % of turnover has come in the last seven years from redesigned shops. Almost 440 businesses were advised. Bernd Weiler is certain that the owner-managed retail trade has a future and will play significant role in the market alongside the chains.




(Pictures from left: High-stack warehouse, administration wing with roof terrace, fruit and vegetable store)