10 years of logistics services for the Alcon Group - a partnership of equals!

In September 2013, the collaboration between the medium-sized Grieshaber Logistics Group AG and the Alcon Group, today a market leader in the field of ophthalmology, began.

With the go-live on 01.09.2013 in Rheinfelden, the first phase began with the centralisation of the country warehouses in Germany and France. Over time, the warehousing project for medical products continued to grow and expand.

As part of the second project phase, this business relationship was expanded further by designing an EU hub based on a best-fit approach, which took into account the special features of the individual country warehouses to be integrated. As part of an OWIS workshop, a concept was developed to set up an EU hub in Rheinfelden, which mapped the centralisation of distribution for international direct surgical supplies in the field of ophthalmology.

In a further third project phase, the aim was to integrate Switzerland as a non-EU country just as efficiently and scalably as the other EU countries. Thanks to intelligent and innovative project and data management, appropriate employee training, a demonstrable focus on added value and an open and honest culture and communication on the part of Alcon and Grieshaber, it was possible to implement the ‘Gateway Switzerland’, including fast and efficient returns management.

This highly complex logistics project, which was challenging on the product side and highly complex due to the integration of a non-EU gateway, was honoured with the Logivisor Award in 2023 at the transport and logistics trade fair in Munich. This award, which honoured the logistics service provider of the future, highlights all the more the extremely cooperative and trusting collaboration with our customer Alcon, and honoured us for the outstanding conception and implementation of the extraordinary project.

On 11 April 2025, the project participants from Alcon and Grieshaber celebrated the happy occasion of ten years of partnership together. The Grieshaber Group is looking forward to the further joint development of the partnership and many more anniversaries together! 

Yours
Grieshaber Logistics Group AG