We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Warehouse upgrade has beautiful results for cosmetics company
applications

Warehouse upgrade has beautiful results for cosmetics company

July 29, 2016
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

The Knowlton Development Corp., better known as KDC, recently added a new finished-goods warehouse to its production plant in New Albany, Ohio. Business was booming for the company, which manufactures health and beauty products for Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret Stores, and the order fulfillment end of the operation was feeling the strain. It was clear the company needed additional capacity to ease the pressure as well as accommodate further growth.

Prior to that, the company had operated out of a 90,000-square-foot facility that housed both finished goods and components for manufacturing. But over time, it became apparent that the facility was not up to the demands of a fast-flow operation, where finished goods are held onsite just three to five days before being shipped out (and hence, must be easy to store and retrieve).

"The configuration of the racking was very random," recalls Todd Lowe, KDC's senior director of operations. "Part of the warehouse was outfitted with drive-in racks for bottles. Another area had racks where one level was double deep, and others had pushback racking." The operation, which required the use of high-reach trucks for putaway and picking, was also inefficient, he adds. The double-deep racks meant multiple touches were sometimes required to locate the correct pallet for shipping. On top of that, highly skilled lift truck operators were needed to make it work. "We were dealing with racks that were 26 feet in height and required a lot of skill to safely pick and put away pallets in a timely fashion," Lowe says.

Raymond swing reach truck in narrow aisle storage
Swing reach trucks from Raymond are used for putaway and picking in KDC's narrow-aisle storage system. Wires embedded in the floor guide the trucks.

There were other drawbacks as well. For instance, a lot of labor was required. It often took three shifts and weekend work to keep up with demand. Plus, repair costs on the overused equipment were running high.

So when KDC went to build a 60,000-square-foot addition (of which 30,000 square feet would be dedicated to a new warehouse), it took great pains to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. "Understanding our struggles with shipping and receiving in the old warehouse, we knew we had to make changes going forward," Lowe says.

KDC contacted Raymond Storage Concepts, a material handling solutions integrator and dealer of Raymond lift trucks in the Midwest, for help. The company, which is a long-time user of Raymond equipment, felt there was a better solution for the new warehouse space—and there was.

For starters, the new section contains narrow-aisle racking—with six-foot widths instead of the nine-foot widths found in the old warehouse. The racks are SK2000 single-deep selective pallet racks from Steel King, which offer 3,500 product storage locations.

KDC also bought four Raymond swing reach trucks to perform putaway and picking tasks. Wires embedded in the floor guide the trucks as they move through the narrow aisles. The swing reach trucks can quickly access positions on both sides of the aisle and are equipped with scanners for inventory reconciliation, mounted laptops, and radio communication devices.

"The net result was way better than we had even hoped," says Lowe. For instance, associates can now pick finished-goods pallets and load them on a truck in a fraction of the time it once took, he says. "What used to take 90 minutes now only takes 30 minutes," Lowe reports. "This is a 60 minute savings."

The tripling of the warehouse's operational efficiency has saved labor, requiring shipping on just two shifts now instead of three. And the benefits don't stop there. "Repairs on the lift trucks have dropped to almost nothing," Lowe says. "Plus morale is up, and we had a very successful peak season with minimal overtime."

A version of this article appears in our August 2016 print edition under the title: "Beautiful results."

Material Handling Storage Internal Movement Lift Trucks, Personnel & Burden Carriers Racking
KEYWORDS Raymond Storage Concepts Steel King
  • Related Articles

    ForwardX Robotics has joined hands with the world’s largest cosmetics company to open a new era of person-to-goods smart warehouses.

    Pick Manager module upgrade for Warehouse Software Suite

    small company, big results

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

IoT vendors say industry needs better collaboration

Survey: only 55% of shippers filled their LTL trucks to full capacity in 2022

Survey: consumers set price cap on paying sustainability premium

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Wireless technology could help electric trucks charge more safely, efficiently

  • Port of Oakland reports slow February container volumes as retail activity sputters

  • What’s shaping omnichannel fulfillment strategies?

  • WMS feels the squeeze

  • Freight downcycle is closer to the end than the start, ACT says

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Ce1e8b83 026c 4709 8554 43eef6c78213

Will the Silicon Valley Bank Fallout Affect Your Supply Chain? And Our Salute to the Women Supply Chain Leaders

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The developments with Silicon Valley Bank and other financial institutions have gotten everyone’s attention. Will these banks be “isolated incidents” or do they portend a contagion with dire economic consequences? Candidly, I think the verdict is still out.That said, we’ve heard from some shippers and columnists who...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Five tips for parcel success in 2023

  • Education Series: How, When and Why to Use XR Wearables in Your Industrial Business

  • The Future of Fleet Management: 5 Trends and Influences That Will Drive Logistics in 2023

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing