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News | July 29, 2015

Europe distribution center wins Henry T. Flint Shipping Point of the Year award

By Emily Tsambiras DLA Distribution

Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Europe’s Theater Consolidation and Shipping Point has been awarded the Global Distribution Excellence: Henry T. Flint Shipping Point of the Year award for its cost savings initiatives and humanitarian support efforts.

In 2014, the distribution center’s TCSP continued to provide innovative support to DLA and service-managed materiel for all four service component warfighters currently serving throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and continued to hone its air pallet-building and containerization skills, optimizing space and saving both time and money. 

DLA Distribution Europe’s TCSP’s performance in its air pallet and containerization utilization mission was one of DLA’s best.  Over the course of the year, the organization was the highest in utilization performance of DLA’s top four consolidation sites by volume and had the highest positive impact on the DLA Distribution targeted goal.  By maximizing container and pallet space utilization, the organization saves critical transportation dollars.

The TCSP was responsible for loading DLA Distribution Europe’s dedicated trucks which provide time-definite delivery to 14 countries in Europe and Asia at least once weekly.  The dedicated truck support, coupled with one-time shipments to various exercises and contingency support operations, resulted in the TCSP loading an average of 300 trucks monthly, exceeding 3,500 for the year.  In executing the DLA Distribution Europe dedicated truck route, the TCSP, through monitoring a constantly changing customer base, adapted its routes and frequency to save the U.S. government almost $8,000 per week.  This effort is saving DoD $400,000 annually.

Playing a large role in humanitarian relief support in Ukraine and the West Africa, the TCSP gained laudatory comments from DLA leadership and the international community. Ukraine support saw more than a dozen trucks transporting 25,000 cases of Meals Ready to Eat loaded and departing DLA Distribution Europe within 12 hours upon U.S. European Command’s request.  In support of Operation United Assistance in West Africa, the TCSP processed, loaded and shipped more than 1.3 million board feet of lumber, 62,000 sheets of plywood, 76,000 cases of bottled water, 28,000 cases of Meals Ready to Eat, and over 100,000 lbs. of other subsistence items over the course of only six days. 

Improving the working environment as well as the quality of life, the TCSP’s recommendations led to reconfiguring the shipping floor and centralizing the forklift recharging area, allowing for a less cramped work space and better employee freedom of movement on the work floor. Further, the TCSP also designed customized work stations adaptable to height and physical needs of employees.

“This team has distinguished itself by exceeding expectations in nearly every aspect.  They do everything they can to ensure DLA Distribution Europe never fails,” said Army Lt. Col. Krista Hoffman, the distribution center’s commander.