Mercadona to Automate Fresh Food Distribution at Four Distribution Centers with Cimcorp

GRIMSBY, Ontario—May 14, 2019—Cimcorp, a manufacturer and integrator of turnkey robotic order fulfillment and tire-handling solutions, announces it has received its largest order ever in the intralogistics market from Mercadona, one of Spain's leading grocery retailers. Under the deal, worth over 120 million euros (~$134 million), Cimcorp will automate the distribution of fresh food at Mercadona's new distribution centers located in Huévar (Seville), Sagunto (Valencia), San Isidro (Alicante) and Zaragoza.

The four distribution centers will serve over 600 of the retailer's 1,630 supermarkets, so Cimcorp's automated systems will ensure that fresh foods are available to some 2 million of the over 5 million households that shop at Mercadona. Javier Blasco, Warehouse Purchasing Coordinator for Mercadona, explained, "The main objective of these four centers will be to meet the demands of our stores, secure growth in perishable product sales and eliminate the overexertion that results from the manual handling of orders."

Cimcorp previously supplied automation to Mercadona back in 2013, when it implemented a fully automated order picking system for fresh produce at the retailer's distribution center in Guadix, near Granada. However, this new project will be the first time that Cimcorp has acted as a system integrator. Blasco commented, "Our previous experience with Cimcorp was positive, and the company's professionalism—along with the support of a strong parent company like Murata Machinery—has led us to put our trust in Cimcorp as a partner for a project of this scale."

Kai Tuomisaari, Vice President, Sales, Cimcorp, said, "We provide reliable intralogistics solutions for rapid order fulfillment, and thereby optimize product shelf life. This means that customers get their fruit, vegetables and other fresh products faster, ensuring they stay fresh for longer in the home. We are delighted to be working with Mercadona again. There is an excellent spirit of partnership, open communication and mutual trust between our two companies."

All four of the new facilities will have two climate zones for fresh food: +3 degrees Celsius (~37 degrees Fahrenheit) for packed meat products and +12 degrees Celsius (~54 degrees Fahrenheit) for fruit and vegetables. "This order will cover several independent automation modules within each distribution center," added Tuomisaari, "and all of the automation will be controlled by Cimcorp software, which integrates various technologies into a seamless system. If one module is out of operation for a while—such as when cleaning is performed—the others continue in operation to take care of the material flow."

About Mercadona
Mercadona, an in-store and online supermarket retailer, has over 1,600 supermarket stores throughout Spain. With over 85,000 employees—all with a stable, quality job—Mercadona serves some 5.3 million households in Spain every day. The company is planning to open its first stores in Portugal during 2019.

About Cimcorp
Cimcorp Group — part of Murata Machinery, Ltd. (Muratec) — is a leading global supplier of turnkey automation for intralogistics, using advanced robotics, material handling and software technologies. As well as being a manufacturer and integrator of pioneering material handling systems for the tire industry, Cimcorp has developed unique robotic solutions for order fulfillment and storage for the food & beverage, retail, e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and postal services sectors. Together with its parent company, Cimcorp boasts a worldwide network of service locations. Designed to reduce operating costs, ensure traceability and improve efficiency, these systems are used within manufacturing and distribution centers in over 40 countries across six continents. For more information, visit http://www.cimcorp.com.

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