ArvinMeritor Inc. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, officially opened its new aftermarket parts distribution center in Cienega de Flores, a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico, part of the manufacturing facility that houses the company’s commercial vehicle business operations in Mexico.
The company’s presence in Monterrey dates back more than 35 years to its Sisamex (formerly Dirona) brake, axle and driveline joint venture with Grupo Quimmco. ArvinMeritor previously maintained its aftermarket distribution facility in nearby Escobedo. ArvinMeritor established in 2008 the 400,000-square-foot commercial axle manufacturing plant in Monterrey.
“We are proud of our role in Monterrey’s economic development and appreciate the support we’ve received from the community,” says Mario Velasco, general market manager –Aftermarket, Mexico.
The expanded Monterrey warehouse and distribution center services more than 300 dealer and independent parts distributor locations throughout Mexico and Latin America. It has 28 full-time employees and 35,200 square feet of warehousing space, a 19 percent increase over the previous facility. The center stocks nearly 7,500 items across 22 product lines, including replacement parts for brakes, front axles, drive axles and trailer axles. Products are sold under several brands, including Meritor, Dirona and Sudisa.
“The expanded operation here in Cienega de Flores supports ArvinMeritor’s goals to expand our aftermarket business in Mexico while improving service to existing distributors and customers here,” says Terry Livingston, general manager-Americas, Aftermarket, ArvinMeritor.
“At the same time, this operation is the next step in our strategy to standardize parts-handling systems and processes across our global aftermarket organization,” says Craig Cartmill, global operations director, Aftermarket. “The Monterrey distribution center immediately services the specific needs of Mexican distributors and the advancement of our aftermarket distribution network around the world.”
