GEODIS is looking to further strengthen its automatization offering as Antoine Pretin joins the firm as vice president for its Engineering Group.

In a statement, it said that Pretin will oversee the growth in automatizing GEODIS’ service offerings to its customers.

"Faced with the acceleration of e-commerce and new consumer demands, the automatization of logistics warehouses is an essential response to handle growing flows in an ever-shorter timeframe. With his experience, Antoine will contribute to open and constructive dialogue between the GEODIS teams and the various players in the field of automatization, to serve the needs of our customers around the world," said Philippe de Carné, executive vice president Business Development, Innovation & Business Excellence.

The logistics provider noted that the 38-year-old Pretin began his career in 2007 as a project manager at Sidel Cermex, first in Dijon, then in Atlanta. After a few years at Fives Intralogistics, he joined Actemium Logistics, a VINCI Group company specializing in automated intralogistics solutions, in 2014, where he was head of the distribution business.

"The arrival of increasingly autonomous intelligent robots and a constant search for competitiveness are paving the way for increased automatization. Such solutions provide great leverage to improve performance and assist in order preparation in e-commerce warehouses, reducing repetitive tasks but also gaining quality and reactivity," Pretin commented.

GEODIS has around fifty automated sites worldwide.