Leading International Vehicle Manufacturer

Each day, from sun up until sun down, a steady stream of thousands of imported cars make their way down ramps of massive cargo ships. And on other days, the reverse happens with U.S. vehicles boarding large carriers to travel overseas. The location: The port of Baltimore’s public auto terminals, the nation’s largest port facilities for specialized roll-on/roll-off ships.

The 102,000 square foot Baltimore Vehicle Processing Center (VPC) is one of the largest for the vehicle manufacturer who operates in 17 countries on five continents and distributes vehicles all over the world. Deliveries to this VPC are responsible for the Northeast and Midwest states, around 40% of the imports. The brand sold a record 2.4 million cars in 2017.

The Baltimore VPC is just one step in the manufacturer’s logistics chain from receiving the vehicles, prepping them, loading them on to the vehicle transport carriers and delivering them to the dealerships where happy customers await.

Given such a large volume of high-value assets, not to mention a location right on the water, securing the Baltimore VPC was of top importance. Which is why the vehicle manufacturer turned to the experienced team at Care Security Systems to design a comprehensive security solution.

Gaining Access in a Busy Processing Center

One of the first challenges was securing the access in and out of the VPC. The manufacturer has established a “valet service” at every VPC and plant marshalling yard where the dispatcher sends drivers out to bring the required vehicles to the trucking carriers, which prevents carriers having to enter the yard to find them. Care Security Systems installed wireless transponders in the valet drivers’ vehicles, as well as access control points at the gate so authorized drivers can pass through the security gates quickly and easily.

“We met with the vehicle manufacturer to evaluate the facility and assess the level of risk,” explains Jonathon Kron, Care Security Systems project manager. “Designing a security system over such a large area presented some difficulties. A lot of their current systems were hardwired and we were brining in new wireless systems.”

As with all Care Security Systems projects, careful coordination was crucial to avoid disruption of existing operations.

Relying on Proven Expertise

Because each security solution is customized to the location and specific facility needs, there were a few stops and starts along the way with the Baltimore VPC. The complex network configuration and programming to integrate both the new and legacy systems was so new that even the manufacturer didn’t have the required support expertise.

“Thanks to our knowledgable technicians, we were able to troubleshoot the new technology and train the manufacturer on its own equipment,” notes Renee Schwab, Care Security Systems’ Chief Executive Officer. “Our techs have extensive, hands-on experience implementing security solutions from a wide range of manufacturers, in all types of environments. They really are top-of-the-industry.”

The new Baltimore VPC solution was so successful that the vehicle manufacturer contracted Care Security Systems to install similar security in its massive Southern California VPC, as well as security solutions in the vehicle manufacturer’s locations throughout the United States.

Due to the sensitive nature of the security solution, we withheld the identity of the organization to protect their anonymity. To learn more about what Care Security Systems provided for this customer – and what we can do for you – contact us at 845-354-3367.