Custom Tool Gives Stairmakers Superhuman Strength

Managers at the German staircase company Krieger Treppen GmbH had a problem. Workers were unable to lift the wooden planks weighing up to 353 pounds in order to carve them into staircase steps. So the company turned to the North Carolina-based FIPA Inc. to design, build and install a custom material handling solution that allowed … Read more

Mobile Technology on the Rise in Warehouses and Distribution Centers

Over the next five years, nearly 9 out of every 10 distribution centers and warehouse are expected to incorporate voice directed mobile technology to their operations, according to to a survey released recently. And that’s if they aren’t using this technology already. The survey, commissioned by the technology giant Honeywell in conjunction with research group … Read more

College Course Gives Hands-On Approach to Material Handling

Engineering students at the University of Tennessee are getting a hands-on education on streamlining inventory and reducing delivery times thanks to a generous donation from one of the country’s leading maker of storage bins. Akro-Mils — the Akron, Ohio, based manufacturer of storage and organization products — recently donated $4,700 worth of products to the … Read more

Repeat of Black Friday Shopping Madness? Consumers Aren’t Buying It

Consumers are becoming more wary of Black Friday shopping in which crazed customers scramble for a handful of low-priced “doorbusters”, according to to a new survey. And according to a new survey, many shoppers are warning retailers that they better have their act together this year … or else! Doorbusters Still Important, But …  While … Read more

High Tech Lockers Increase Worker Accountability, Reduce Costs

Operators of a Florida food warehouse have found a way to make workers more accountable and significantly reduce operational costs at the same time. Like many distribution centers, Cheney Brothers uses radio-frequency scanners to track inventory in its Ocala warehouse from the moment it arrived to when it went out the door to be shipped … Read more