DC Velocity - Digital 2018

Special Delivery

T he first thing a visitor notices at Radwell International’s new operations and distribution facility in Willingboro, N.J., is that he family-owned company operates a bit differently than most industrial distributors. Maybe it’s the 47 fish tanks in the complex, the largest being 500 gallons. (The company employs a full-time fish wrangler who’s charged with keeping the tanks spotless.)

Or maybe it’s the employee lunchroom, where tables painted in bright Caribbean colors and adorned with beach umbrellas sit alongside pingpong tables and videogame consoles. Possibly all of these serve as distractions from the decidedly daunting task of keeping track of a catalog of 22 million stock-keeping units (SKUs). Regardless, it looks like a fun place to work.

But what may be one of the most interesting features of the new facility is the state-of-the-art automated storage system that allows it to handle the million or so parts that account for most of its daily volume. Known as the “AutoStore,” the automated storage and picking system enables workers to pick nine or 10 products in the time it takes to select one product manually.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

To understand the automated system’s significance to the operation, it helps to know a little about Radwell’s business. Radwell International is a full-service supplier of new and used industrial parts and components. Its products include parts for automation, MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations), motion control, electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment. Its main customers are manufacturers, engineering wholesalers, and others tasked with plant maintenance and keeping production lines going.

“Our business model is based on having the right product in stock,” says Todd Radwell, senior vice president of operations and production. “When a machine is down, we help customers find the critical parts they need to get it running.”