Unilever and US Cold Storage unveiled their new, 336,500 SF facility with a ribbon cutting and special event that included guest speakers, facility tours and participation from the members of the design/build team. The facility includes a Swisslog installed solution designed for the freezer environment, which includes Vectura Cranes, pallet conveyors and automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) all optimized and controlled by Swisslog's Warehouse Execution System (WES) Software.
COVINGTON, Tenn., Nov. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Unilever and US Cold hosted a grand opening to showcase their new frozen distribution center (DC), which connects to Unilever's existing 815,000 SF production facility with a 312-foot corridor kept at -20 degrees. Combined, the two facilities create one of the largest ice cream manufacturing and distribution facilities in the world.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151105/284494
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Said Mike Lynch, vice president of engineering, "USCS is not one to shy away from trying something new and innovative. Our newest warehouse in Covington represents several important firsts. It is our first plant-attached warehouse. [It is] our first highly automated warehouse, employing a sophisticated inbound product pallet handling system, AGVs and automated storage and retrieval cranes. And it is US Cold's most energy efficient and sustainable operation designed according to the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program. I'm proud to say that Covington is in consideration for official LEED Silver Certification."
Other key members of the design build team for the project included: Primus Builders, Inc., IA Interior Architects, A2H Engineers, Primus Design Services, Shine Electrical Group and Republic Refrigeration, Inc. The selected team won the National Award of Merit for the project from the Design Build Institute of America earlier in the year and is up for nomination for even more accolades next month.
The Swisslog solution, designed specifically to operate in subzero temperatures, includes Vectura Cranes, Conveyor and Automatic Guided Vehicles(AGV's). Markus Schmidt, senior vice president of Swisslog WDS Americas commented, "I am honored that we were selected to be part of such a prestigious team dedicated to installing an energy efficient and sustainable operation. Having installed more than 250 automatic stacker cranes that serve over 600,000 pallet locations within temperature controlled storage in the United Sates alone, we have been able to perfect our cold storage solutions to meet the needs of today's most demanding warehouse environments."
For more information on Swisslog products and services, visit www.swisslog.com/na
Megan Wolf
Marketing Coordinator
Swisslog Logistics, Inc.
161 Enterprise Dr.
Newport News, VA 23603
Email
(757) 820-3469
Swisslog designs, develops and delivers best-in-class automation solutions for forward-thinking hospitals, warehouses and distribution centers. The company offers integrated systems and services from a single source – from consulting to design, implementation and lifetime customer service. Behind the growing success are 2500 employees worldwide, supporting customers in more than 50 countries.
Swisslog is part of the KUKA group, a leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions.
www.kuka.com