Automotive Parts Warehouse Expansion

CUSTOMER DESCRIPTION

Family Owned Auto Parts Company Expands Distribution

Established in 1946, County Motor Parts Co., Inc. your locally owned Napa Auto Parts supplier, has been in business for over 70 years. CMP has a wide network of stores stretching from San Diego to Arizona, and currently has over 600 suppliers to help efficiently tackle whatever problem comes their way. A family owned business since the start, CMP is committed to serving the local communities in which it operates, providing parts and service for the people there. As a partner with NAPA they participate in the Nationwide Peace of Mind Warranty offered by all NAPA AutoCare Centers, a written warranty honored at more than 13,000 locations nationwide.

CMP supplies a wide variety of Automobile, Truck, and Agricultural Parts & Accessories. More than just a parts store, County Motor Parts provides parts for ALL types of vehicles. From boats and garden tractors, to trailers and semi-trucks, they have you covered. They also make custom hoses and cables.

PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK

Renovation and Upgrade of Old Warehouse Facility

Country Motor Parts has many locations stretching from San Diego to Arizona, including the recently expanded location in Blythe, California, which was facilitated by Conveyor & Storage Solutions. As they have expanded over their 70+ years in business, so to have their distribution needs. Their Calexico location was slated to play a much larger part in the operation, becoming a major distribution point for their whole network. To accommodate this, CMP found it necessary to vastly increase the capacity of an already full warehouse, as well as to streamline accessibility and order picking.

To add on to the challenge, CMP was on a strict deadline for their facility expansion. As this location would serve as a distribution center, any delay would mean not only a delay in their own network, but for NAPA as a whole.

CUSTOM SOLUTION

Designed and Installed a High Density Two-Level Boltless Shelving Catwalk System For Easy Picking

Maximizing CMP’s automotive parts storage and distribution capacity meant not just efficiently reorganizing the use of available 4000 square feet of warehouse floor space but taking advantage of the vertical space afforded to them as well. Seasoned Conveyor & Storage Solutions designers were able to use this wasted area, creating a two-level boltless shelving supported catwalk system. A bolt less system meant lighter materials and easier installation, while still more than strong enough to handle tens of thousands of pounds of automotive parts. To construct the catwalk C&SS turned to Western Pacific Storage Solutions, an industry leader in industrial shelving, platforms, and mezzanines. Working side by side, a design was finalized that well exceeded CMP’s immediate need for storage room. In fact, capacity was more than tripled in the same footprint, allowing for further expansion of the facility’s duties down the road.

In addition to the massive boltless catwalk system, C&SS designed a sizeable pallet rack system for supplemental storage. With 10- and 12-foot uprights and heavy-duty beams, the rack setup can accommodate the heavier, bulkier items that the catwalk system cannot.

C&SS’s decades of experience and a company-wide emphasis on creative, solution-oriented thinking helped the project come in on time and on budget, despite obstacles. An older warehouse with significant wear and tear offered an uneven flooring surface which could have provided serious delays to a project on a tight schedule. Utilizing a previously conducted detail-oriented site survey, the seasoned installation team was able to account for this issue and plan ahead with minimal time lost. Additionally, custom pallet rack workstations were created on site to speed along the build and assembly process, saving backs, dollars, and time. Used bar grating was sourced for the upper deck of the catwalk system, saving money without compromising strength or functionality while helping to keep material lead times under control.

OUTCOMES

Tripled Distribution Capability on a Tight Deadline

Conveyor & Storage Solutions again partnered with a long-term customer to help improve their internal company logistics as a whole. Deep understanding of both the client and their business helped accomplish:

• Tripled warehouse storage capacity

• Saved customer money by utilizing used materials when possible

• Created a two-level boltless shelving supported catwalk system to better organize parts inventory

• Turned a retail site into a combined retail/distribution warehouse

• Created additional oversize storage with selective pallet rack

THE C&SS DIFFERENCE

Worked Quickly To Help Customer Meet Tight Deadline

C&SS continued to deliver their long history of excellent customer service with a long-term client by:

• Expedited a turnkey solution without interrupting business operations

• Overcame less than ideal warehouse conditions

• Worked quickly to help customer meet tight deadline

• Used prior knowledge of customer’s business and industry to deliver the ideal solution

• Maximized density utilizing existing warehouse footprint