20/12/2011, Gütersloh – From spring 2012, arvato Entertainment Europe in Gütersloh will be responsible for the physical distribution of The Walt Disney Company’s entire Home Entertainment range in Germany, Austria and the Benelux region.

The move of the warehouse from its current Technicolor site in Venray, Netherlands to Gütersloh is scheduled for completion by March of next year. Technicolor will continue to handle the distribution processes for Disney’s Home Entertainment business after the move. Disney’s Home Entertainment range includes such video classics as Mickey Mouse, Snow White and The Lion King. The contract provides medium-term security for more than 70 jobs at arvato in Gütersloh.

Peter Steil, Executive Director Operations at The Walt Disney Company Deutschland, has high hopes for the collaboration: “arvato Entertainment Europe puts a strong partner at our side, with comprehensive experience in the German market. Its close proximity to the market ensures that we can further improve the service we provide to our German retail customers.” Sven Deutschmann, CEO arvato Entertainment Europe, is delighted about the famous customer’s decision: “The fact that a company like Walt Disney chooses us is an excellent sign and further proof that our integrated solutions approach works and is well received by customers.”

The Walt Disney Company
Disney is a globally leading, broadly set-up media and family entertainment company headquartered in Burbank, CA. Its activities are structured into five areas: Media Networks, Parks & Resorts, Studio Entertainment, Consumer Products and the Interactive Media Group. Disney has had operations in Germany since 1951. Today its businesses cover several areas: Disney is a market leader in film distribution and as a vendor of DVDs. The company also sells films, TV and animated series to German, Austrian and Swiss broadcasters and operates its own (pay-) TV channels as well: The Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Disney Cinemagic. Add to this a wide-ranging licensing and merchandising business as well as digital products ranging from video and mobile games to online content. Disney is also successful in live entertainment, with musicals like “The Lion King,” a show that has attracted approx. 800,000 visitors a year to Hamburg since it made its debut here in 2001. The Munich-based company has around 300 employees and its holdings include a 50-percent stake in SUPER RTL.

arvato Entertainment Europe
arvato Entertainment Europe offers its business partners in the Games, Video, Audio, Sport and TV/Broadcast industries a wide range of services and solutions. Its European presence covers six countries. More than 1,500 employees in Europe provide the highest standards of service to their customers, and have been doing so for more than 50 years. arvato Entertainment Europe is a market leader in integrated solutions across the entire value chain, from replication and e-commerce to Fulfillment, Distribution/Supply Chain Management and Electronic Content Distribution. All these processes are supported by innovative end-to-end IT systems. arvato Entertainment Europe is part of arvato AG, a leading internationally networked provider of outsourced services.