The Bilstein Group successfully commissioned the first expansion stage of its SAP EWM-based intralogistics platform at the Gelsenkirchen site in July 2025, about six months earlier than originally planned. The reason for the accelerated start was the persistent strong growth in volumes, which required additional logistics capacity earlier than expected.
Automated Logistics for ‘febi’, ‘SWAG’ and ‘Blue Print’
The automotive aftermarket specialist, known for its brands ‘febi’, ‘SWAG’ and ‘Blue Print’, has been pursuing an automation strategy for years. The goal is to be able to respond to continuous growth in the long term with a high-performance
logistics system.
Since 2019, the company has been investing at the Gelsenkirchen site in a future-proof logistics center on the former industrial site “Schalker Verein”. After commissioning in 2022, a comprehensive expansion now follows with the so-called expansion stage 1b.
SAP EWM/MFS, eleven-aisle high-bay warehouse and expansion of the electrified floor conveyor
In focus for the new construction phase are a new eleven-aisle high-bay warehouse with around 60,000 additional storage locations as well as the expansion of the electrified floor conveyor. It was expanded by 20 vehicles, additional track sections and a new maintenance bay. All new
components were fully integrated into the existing SAP EWM/MFS infrastructure, enabling end-to-end, system-supported control and monitoring of all material flows.
Project partner IGZ is Bilstein Group’s long-standing SAP EWM general contractor
The implementation was again carried out in collaboration with IGZ, the Bilstein Group’s long-standing SAP EWM general contractor. IGZ was not only responsible for planning and execution of all construction phases, but also takes over ongoing operation, including maintenance and system optimization by an on-site team.
There is already apparently preparation for the next expansion stage: With construction phase 2a, the Gelsenkirchen site is to be
further aligned to future requirements. In parallel, the Bilstein Group is pursuing a group-wide rollout of SAP EWM. It is planned to connect two subsidiaries to the central solution each year – supported by site-specific automation technologies such as Autostore.
While smaller sites rely on more compact systems, the Bilstein Group in Gelsenkirchen is pursuing a strategy with conventional warehousing technology designed for high throughput and scalability. With around 404,000 storage locations today – distributed across automated high-bay warehouses, small parts warehouses and manual areas – the Gelsenkirchen site is among the most modern logistics centers in
