"In order to achieve our full potential in this part of the world, we made the tactical decision to realign our resources to best meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing global healthcare environment, while at the same time offering greater accessibility to our customers in 45 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Sub-Continent," said Steve Meyer, Welch Allyn president and CEO. "The Netherlands was a logical choice to locate, as it offers Welch Allyn a favorable business and tax climate, excellent physical and telecommunications resources, and a world-class transportation infrastructure that provides direct access to our regional leadership and our customers."
The Welch Allyn EMEI headquarters is located in the city of Leiden, just outside Amsterdam. Known as the heart of the country's economic center, Leiden is home to many U.S. and international headquarters, a bioscience park and both Leiden University and its affiliated medical center. Situated in Le Carrefour Complex, the Welch Allyn EMEI headquarters will include a state-of-the-art sales and product training center for internal, distributor and customer training, as well as a Customer Experience Center, which will showcase the company's history, culture and products.
"We are very pleased to welcome Welch Allyn's EMEI headquarters and Operations Center to the Netherlands," says Henny Jacobs, Director Investment Projects at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) headquarters in The Hague. "We are proud to have worked closely with the Welch Allyn team supporting the decision making process and realization of these projects, together with our partners Holland International Distribution Council and BOM Foreign Investment, on the Operations Center, and both WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency and the City of Leiden on the headquarters."
The Welch Allyn Operations Center is located approximately one hour from the EMEI headquarters in the city of Tilburg. Through a strategic partnership, Welch Allyn has co-located its warehouse and distribution, product repair, technical support and product configuration activities to a leased space at Rhenus Logistics, a worldwide transport and logistics company. This site will focus on product repair, technical support and product configuration, while allowing Rhenus Logistics to manage warehouse and distribution functions for Welch Allyn. This unique agreement will allow Welch Allyn to optimize its supply chain throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Sub-Continent by improving operational excellence, and more efficiently serving customers throughout the region. The partnership will be phased in through early 2014.
"This is an exciting time for Welch Allyn, and the opening of our new EMEI Headquarters and Operations Center in the Netherlands is an important step in furthering our goals and streamlining our business practices in key markets throughout the region," said Hisham Hout, senior vice president, EMEI at Welch Allyn. "Already the response has been extremely positive, and we look forward to furthering the Welch Allyn brand by bringing the best possible solutions to our customers throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Sub-Continent."
"We are confident that having a regional headquarters and consolidated logistics center in The Netherlands will be of great benefit in driving our business forward throughout the region," said Jon Soderberg, executive vice president and chief corporate development officer at Welch Allyn. "This is an exciting time in EMEI, and we are very optimistic about the potential that exists here, which is certain to be beneficial to Welch Allyn, our business partners and the customers we serve."
About Welch Allyn
Welch Allyn helps reduce risk and improve patient safety, satisfaction and outcomes in a variety of clinical settings through a complete range of EMR-interfaced vital signs and cardiac monitoring diagnostic solutions, physical diagnosis instruments, and infection control products. The company specializes in helping doctors, nurses and other frontline providers across the globe streamline workflow by developing innovative solutions that enable immediate access to accurate patient data. A leading global healthcare company founded in 1915 and headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, N.Y. (USA), Welch Allyn is a family-owned business that employs nearly 2,600 employees in 26 different countries.