DISTRIBUTION CENTER WORKSHOP DISTRIBUTES BEST PRACTICES
Representatives from PRO Group, Inc. and Distribution America gather to talk shop and strategize.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana (April 15, 2010) - Industry distributors met in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, April 6-8 to discuss the warehouse operations side of distribution. The Distribution Center Workshop drew 19 distributors and 48 attendees from the Denver, Colorado-based PRO Group, Inc. and the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Distribution America.
The Distribution Center Workshop was an opportunity for industry insiders to share best practices and take back ideas to improve their own distribution centers. Discussions included hiring and training, transportation, accounting systems and handling of hazardous material.
The workshop included tours of The Bostwick-Braun Co.’s distribution center, which is a PRO Group member located in Ashley, Indiana, and the Benco Dental distribution center, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Bostwick-Braun Co. utilizes voice directed picking technology, which the distributors were able to see in action.
Shari Kalbach, managing director for PRO Group, said that this meeting is a great way for distributors to view a technology or improvement that they would like to implement in their own warehouse. The attendees shared the successes and challenges of their own operations and were able to learn from one another’s experiences.
Doyle Wallace, president and CEO of Wallace Hardware, located in Morristown, Tennessee, said that he gained immeasurable insight and perspective at the conference. “I came away with a great appreciation of the industry at-large, on account of how open and candid each person was,” he said. “I appreciated the distribution warehouse group, and especially enjoyed watching as the different distributors shared. In the end, all learned and all ships rose together.”
Jeff Shively, vice president, transportation and quality for The Bostwick-Braun Company said that he found the conference educational for all involved. “The Bostwick-Braun Company greatly appreciates the confidence that the PRO/DA affiliates exhibited by allowing us to host the DC Workshop again,” said Shively. “It was an honor to be permitted to demonstrate many enhancements to our operation, including but not limited to voice-directed picking and our conveyor expansion. The roundtable discussions and individual best practice conversations that occur are always valuable and promote continuous improvement of our operations.”
Dave Guster, VP, operations for the Wooster, Ohio-based Central Farm & Garden, Inc., said in addition to the benefit of being exposed to new technology, the workshop helped him build relationships with those who share similar occupational challenges. "Sharing ideas, support, experience and insight - of both professional and tribal knowledge - in a non-threatening environment, is a benefit to our organization."
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Distribution Center Workshop Attendees embarking on a tour of The Bostwick-Braun Company Distribution Center. |
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Distribtution Center Vehichle. |
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The Charlotte, N.C.-based Distribution America (hattp://www.daonline.com) is a multi billion dollar buying and marketing organization, covering all 50 states with over 15,000 retail customers.
PRO Group, Inc. (http://www.pro-group.com) is a multi-divisional, international merchandising and marketing organization with corporate headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Its operating units include PRO Hardware, GardenMaster, FARM*MART and GOLDEN-LINK. The Company’s purchasing power exceeds $3 billion through its Member Distributors.
For More Information Contact:
Shari Kalbach, PRO Group, Inc.
(303) 792-3000 shari.kalbach@pro-group.com
Additional media contacts:
Ruth Furman, ImageWords (702) 255-8288
Note to media: Digital photographs of the workshop are available upon request from Elissa Motley of PRO Group, Inc. elissa.motley@pro-group.com
