Joma expands its logistics centre

Joma has a large logistics centre in Portillo de Toledo from which it receives, stores and distributes most of its sports equipment.

From this warehouse, the company distributes its products to more than 120 countries on five continents. The facility has more than 200 meters of conveyor belt that thanks to the three robotic arms Joma is able to handle 135 orders

at a time. In addition, the megastructure of more than 100 meters long has 6 intelligent robots that locate the product among more than 4 million references and reduce the margin of error to less than 1%.

With this expansion, Joma has more than 65,000 square meters of storage space to continue providing excellent service to its customers and the consumer.

Interview with José Pablo Cofrades

José Pablo Cofrades brings more than 20 years of experience in Joma. He works every day with textile suppliers to achieve excellent quality in the brand’s garments and accessories. In this interview he tells us his opinion about R+D+i and how the sector has changed in recent years.

1. When did you start working at Joma?

My time in the company began in March 1998, at the age of twenty-five, with hardly any work experience and having just finished my degree in Economics and Business Studies. I had just worked the year before for a tax consultancy, so the change was quite radical for me. I can say, therefore, that all my experience in the textile-sports sector has always been linked to Joma.

2. How has the Textile Department changed in recent years?

In my twenty-two years of experience at Joma, the change has been brutal. In general terms, all processes have been optimised and streamlined at an almost exponential rate. In a few years, we have gone from being a very small group of people, working with a few suppliers at a local or national level, to being a large human group made up of designers, buyers, quality controllers, etc. daily in contact with dozens of suppliers worldwide.

‘Today, the world is advancing and changing very fast, which forces us to continuously adapt to the needs of the market‘

3. What improvements has Joma made since you entered?

Since starting at Joma, everything has improved and in a quite relevant way. In general, much progress has been made in terms of computer systems, communication and dealings with customers and suppliers, logistics and procurement systems, marketing, design, etc. Joma is an evolving company and we have seen this over the years, but above all, I believe that the most important improvement and the one that is most valued is customer service, because, let’s not forget, that should be one of the fundamental objectives of any company.

4. What are your responsibilities within the Textile Department today?

Basically, I handle supplier relations. My main objective is to find suppliers based on the needs of the company at any given time, as well as to negotiate prices, conditions and production deadlines. Today, the world is advancing and changing very fast, which forces us to continuously adapt to the market needs and to look for new production centres in different areas, that is, we try to diversify and look for new and better opportunities to manufacture our products.

5. What are you most proud of in the time you’ve been in Joma?

Because of my work, I have had to travel often and to different parts of the world and, it is very comforting and proud to be part of a company like Joma, recognized by its prestige worldwide among the best brands in the industry. For me, following a football, tennis, handball or Olympic Games match on TV and seeing the brand on any sportsperson, team or country, is a personal satisfaction as a member of the group of workers who have contributed our small grain of sand to make this happen.

6. How is the relationship with suppliers?

In general, we aim for a cordial and mutually cooperative relationship between both parties, with constant and very fluid communication that helps to optimise time and processes. This has always been one of my priorities, as I understand that if a supplier feels comfortable and well valued, they usually perform better. Proof of this is that we have been working with some of our manufacturers for over 20 years now. Based on my experience, I believe that the right philosophy should be to look for flexible providers, who do not accommodate themselves and who want to improve and grow with Joma.

7. Tell us in your opinion how important innovation is in the world of sport in general and in textiles in particular.

In my opinion, innovation is everything these days. In a world as competitive and global as the one we live in, if a company does not take the step to try to innovate or does not invest enough in R+D, sooner or later, it will be doomed to failure. I believe that this has been understood for a long time in Joma and that is why the company is continuously evolving and expanding.