USCS Tackles Storage Demands and Labor Shortages with Automation
The Initial Situation
United States Cold Storage (USCS) is a national industry leader in cold chain warehousing and logistics, with over 350M cubic feet. USCS established its presence in Minooka, IL with Phase I construction in 1997. Minooka is located about 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. The facility has been expanded several times in the past, most recently in 2004. The current facility offers approximately 12.1 million cubic feet of refrigerated storage space with over 47,000 pallet positions. The existing facility operates at a high occupancy rate exceeding 90% and serves as a frozen or temperature-controlled consolidation location in the Midwest region. The multi-customer base in Minooka requires a significant amount of layer and case selection. Illinois is a populous and agriculturally productive region, and customer demand for storage space and logistics services has increased, driving the need for expansion at the site over the years.
The Solution
The Minooka location needed a solution that maximized cubic feet of storage space on the limited remaining property, addressed the challenging local labor market, and had a minimal impact on USCS's carbon footprint. Additionally, the solution had to integrate with existing USCS systems. Given these requirements and challenges, the best solution was a High-Bay Warehouse with an energy-efficient ASRS and integrated robotic layer picking. The robotic system simplifies operations by automating repetitive tasks, making it easier for employees, along with designated case picking areas.
SSI SCHAEFER designed a solution that met all of USCS's needs:
Over 7M cubic feet of storage space added
26,000 pallet positions
Capability to handle multiple different customers and product types
Integrated layer picker capable of approximately 200 layers per hour
2,112 case flow locations to handle less-than-layer picking
Outbound pallet sequencer for multiple stop loads
Sustainability with a reduced carbon footprint
Business sustainability with reduced labor needs
