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52 DC VELOCITY FEBRUARY 2019 www.dcvelocity.com
to material handling systems and equipment provider Bastian Solutions in 2017
to help it select and install racking for the
new facility.
Once the selections were made and the
components delivered, it took
Bastian Solutions just three days
to install an array of new rack
systems and equipment: selective rack for static storage, push-back rack for dynamic storage,
and carton-flow racking as well
as ergonomic packing stations. In all, the
new system features 672 selective-rack pallet positions, 336 pushback-rack positions,
and 885 carton-flow pick faces, allowing
Nine Line to store up to 1,100 pallets and
6,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs).
STREAMLINED OPERATIONS
Along with providing much-needed storage space, the new system has yielded a
variety of other benefits. For example, it
has led to measurable gains in efficiency.
Prior to the racks’ installation, the number
of touchpoints for each box of materials
was around seven, according to Merritt.
Today, that number has dropped to three.
The system has enabled productivity
improvements as well. With the new equipment in place, Nine Line now has designated spaces for products, which helps
the company better manage inventory and
reduce customer leadtimes. On top of that,
the racking system has reduced the potential for injury, the apparel company says.
As for the installation experience, Nine
Line has nothing but praise for the vendor.
“This particular project, for me, was above
and beyond what most contractors have
been able to provide. They were here when
they said they were going to be here. They
worked with their employees to make the
process flow,” said Stacey Wharton, chief
production officer of Nine Line, in the
video. “It was one of the best experiences
I’ve ever had.”
IN 2012, MILITARY VETERAN
Tyler Merritt and his wife, Angela,
started a small apparel company
featuring patriotic clothing and
accessories in the back of their
garage. With Nine Line Apparel,
the couple hoped to lift morale and
provide financial assistance for fellow military service members, first
responders, and victims of disaster.
The market response to the com-
pany was so positive that in 2014,
the Savannah, Ga.-based business
moved to a storefront, only to real-
ize within a few months that it
needed even more space. That’s
when it made the decision to invest
in a distribution facility.
“Prior to this facility, we essentially operated out of conexes [mili-tary cargo containers] lined up outside of our building. The efficiencies
were nonexistent. We
were putting tarps on
top of pallets, and we
palletized outside in
the rain,” said Merritt
in a video statement.
With a growing
product line and rising volume of
orders, the company knew it needed
some way to organize inventory in
the 60,000-square-foot fulfillment
center it was building. So it turned
A
p
p
l
ic
at
i
on
s
Racking up efficiencies
Veteran-owned and -operated Nine Line Apparel knew it was time for a facility upgrade when it
found itself palletizing and storing products outside. Installing new rack systems created storage
space while improving safety and efficiency.
