Lyreco selects Exotec to robotize its Mayenne distribution center

September 25, 2023

By entrusting its robotization to Exotec^®, Lyreco is taking a further step towards modernizing its Villaines-la-Juhel (53) Distribution Center by 2025.

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Croix, July 6, 2023 – Exotec, a global designer and supplier of robotized warehouse solutions, has been chosen by Lyreco, Europe’s leading distributor of products and services for the working environment, to equip its Distribution Center in Mayenne with its Skypod^® solution.

A major logistics modernization project

To provide the best possible service to its customers, Lyreco operates its own logistics system, from order preparation to delivery. Lyreco relies in particular on its 52,000 m2 platform in Mayenne (with over 300 employees) to prepare orders, and on a network of some forty Breakdown Centers for delivery. These operations require the sorting of over 40,000 parcels a day, and the creation of pallets for each delivery round and each customer.

While parcel sorting and palletization optimization were already key challenges for Lyreco, the site’s necessary modernization called for this new project, in which Exotec is deploying a parcel buffering system, equipped with 105 Skypod robots and 20,000 storage bays.

Louis Grand, Sales Executive at Exotec, explains: “We’re proud to be working with Lyreco and supporting their transition to innovative, high-performance logistics operations in line with their position as European leader. Lyreco’s teams will be able to benefit from the advantages of a robotized buffer system: a very high level of availability and unlimited sequencing capacity.”

A logistics tool serving an innovative corporate vision

This installation will improve working conditions for order pickers, a strong Lyreco commitment to the quality of life at work of its employees. Exotec plans to install 5 palletizing stations that will enable Lyreco employees to work at man-height, while considerably reducing the need to move around and carry loads.

Exotec’s installation will also halve palletizing time, improving performance and employee safety.

The density of the system deployed by Exotec will also free up space to accommodate the equipment required for the processing, storage and reconditioning of second-hand furniture, a new offering that Lyreco is currently implementing and which should consolidate over the next two years. It will also be used for the management and massification of containers for the recovery of end-of-life products, which Lyreco has been deploying for the past ten years, and for which demand is set to increase exponentially in the future.

Cédric Renaud, Director of Lyreco’s Villaines-la-Juhel distribution center, adds: “The installation of Exotec’s solutions in our distribution center is a major step forward for current and future development projects. We’re counting on this collaboration to improve the ergonomics of our employees’ work, which is one of our priorities.”

About Exotec

Exotec designs goods-to-person robotic solutions for the warehouses of the world’s leading brands. The company combines the best of hardware and software to offer flexible systems that improve operational efficiency, resilience and working conditions for operators. More than 30 industry-leading brands, including Carrefour, Decathlon, Gap and Uniqlo, rely on Exotec to improve their operations and cost-effectively manage rapidly changing business models and customer expectations. To find out more: Exotec.com.

About Lyreco France

Lyreco France is France’s leading distributor of products and services for the working environment, from office supplies to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), IT equipment, furniture, hygiene and catering products and shipping packaging.

With its long-standing commitment to Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility, Lyreco is committed to the circular economy by offering, among other things, extended ranges of eco-responsible, recycled and recyclable products; low-consumption transport and delivery solutions; and collection and recovery solutions for end-of-life management of products.

With sales of 500 million euros and 2,000 employees throughout France, Lyreco relies on human proximity to support its customers and help them adapt their business environments to tomorrow’s challenges. In the field, this means a sales force of nearly 800 employees, a delivery force of around 450 drivers and a customer service team of 200 employees.

Lyreco France is a subsidiary of the Lyreco Group, a family-run business from Northern France, European leader and 3rd largest player worldwide, with over 10,000 employees in 25 countries in Europe and Asia. To find out more: Lyreco.com