FKI Logistex (St. Louis, Mo.) announces it has won a major contract from Michaels Stores, Inc. (Irvine, Texas) to supply a turnkey picking, cross-docking, and automated sortation system at the company's new Northwest retail distribution center in Centralia, Wash. The 715,000-square-foot facility will be the fourth Michaels distribution center for which FKI Logistex has provided a fully automated material handling solution.
Michaels Stores, Inc. is one of the world's largest specialty retailers of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall decor, and seasonal merchandise for the hobbyist and do-it-yourself home decorator. As of August 3, the company owns and operates 906 Michaels stores in 48 states and Canada, 165 Aaron Brothers stores, 11 Recollections stores, and four Star Wholesale operations.
The new contract covers the implementation of an array of FKI Logistex solutions, including 23 Accupass pick-and-pass transfer conveyor systems; 45,900 feet of conveyor, featuring 12,100 feet of Accuglide accumulation conveyor with patented cartridge-bearing rollers; a high-speed vhswEDGE merge; as well as two UniSort XV high-speed sliding shoe sorters offering throughput rates of more than 220 cartons per min.
The Centralia system also features the newly upgraded FKI Logistex BOSS PC-based material handling controls solution, a series of FKI Logistex truck loaders, and the implementation of 6,900 FKI Logistex EASYpick Trak3 six-digit pick-to-light devices at more than 9,000 pick locations.
Construction of the new Michaels distribution center began in the fall of 2005 and will be completed by September 2006. Implementation of the FKI Logistex integrated system is scheduled to start soon after and be completed by mid-2007.
Source: FKI Logistex
