Seattle ThyssenKrupp Distribution Center

Program
An insight into the Operations of the
ThyssenKrupp DC Program.
David Larson and Matt Hintz

ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Developing the future

Introduction
The goal of this visit to the
Seattle Distribution Center was
to develop a better
understanding of the
operational as well as the
logistical side of ThyssenKrupp
Elevator (TKE) and her sister
company ThyssenKrupp
Industrial Services (TKIS). This
required us to visit and observe
the Seattle Distribution Center.
As you will see, we
gathered valuable insights not
only into the operational side of
ThyssenKrupp but also the vital
components of successful
business relationships.
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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Seattle Distribution Center

150,000 sq. ft. facility
Total Employees: 10

The Seattle DC facility was built in

2006 and TKIS occupied the facility in
2007. The first impression of the
warehouse was a very positive
experience. In addition to the
cleanliness of the facility, it was also
very organized, well maintained, and
cleverly engineered to optimize the
warehouse usage. The DC was
managed by Dan Van Dyke, a wellliked and valued manager. It was our
privilege to meet and speak to Dan
about his operations at the Seattle
DC. We also had the opportunity to
meet the West Region DC manager,
John Grassmeyer. Like Dan, he was
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very willing to answer any questions
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we had and was very helpful in our

ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Our First Day

When we arrived to
the DC on Tuesday, Dan
gave us a tour of his
facility and explained
how he liked to operate
his business. He went
over how TKIS allocates
space in the warehouse
between TKE, TK
Aerospace, and Ken-Mac
Metals. He also explained
the weight requirements
for loading trucks, how
the forklifts work, and his
crews daily schedule.
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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Our Second Day

To begin the day on
Wednesday, Dan gave us
the task of checking
inventory. We had a list of
the unit IDs and we went
down the racks, checking
to make sure each item
was in the right place. He
explained that inventory
is a vital part of
operationsif it isn't done
correctly, valuable time is
wasted looking for the
misplaced item. Dan also
explained how the
barcode system helps
avoid wasted time and
keeps everything in order.
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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Our Second Day

After inventory, we watched Dan
load a Hydro elevator onto a
flatbed trailer. He compared
loading the trailer to a game of
Tetris you have to shift the
pieces around to ensure you use
your space most efficiently.

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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Our Final Day

After loading the Hydro elevator
onto the trailer Wednesday, we
arrived to witness the unloading
of the same elevator at the job
site. The process of unloading
the items took about 2 hours as
TKE and TKIS employees worked
together to relocate the elevator
materials. While watching, we
had the privilege of talking to an
elevator mechanic as well as a
TKIS truck driver.

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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Summary
Overall, our time in Seattle
was a tremendous learning
experience. Aside from the vital
educational insight on the
operational science of
ThyssenKrupp, we also learned
life-long fundamental aspects of
business. Steve and Jamie
especially emphasized the
importance of growing and
maintaining good relationships
with your colleagues. Business
is all about dealing with people,
and one person can only do so
much with his own intelligence
he needs a team that he can
trust.
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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas

Any questions?

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ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas