New Distribution Center is double the size, efficiency, and convenience:
Throughout 2022 Allied Plastics has continued to expand its distribution center, moving from its 85,000-sq-ft space to a larger 173,000-sq-ft space at the same location.
Allied Plastics has been busting at the seams for quite some time, especially over the past few years as manufacturing capabilities have ramped up.
“To be honest, I can’t remember a day in the last 25 years when we didn’t wish we had more space,” says Mike Stark, director of operations at Allied Plastics.
That wish was granted in June when the company’s owners, Steve Wieder and Tim Neal, gave the green light to begin moving into a new distribution center. After a few months of preparation, the new DC will begin shipping finished products on September 7.
Located in Wilmot, WI, the new DC is just five miles from Allied Plastics’ main manufacturing facility in Twin Lakes, WI. The Wilmot DC is replacing the company’s existing warehouse in Genoa City, WI, and is also sparing Allied from having to purchase or build a second warehouse in the nearby vicinity. (Allied’s main Twin Lakes facility was doing double duty as a distribution center, to some degree.)
Employees like Mike Stark aren’t the only ones who are thrilled with the new distribution center. Allied Plastics’ customers will also benefit in several ways.
More space = more productivity. The 85,000-sq -ft Wilmot facility increases Allied’s total distribution footprint by around 45,000-sq-ft. With nearly double the space, Allied’s shipping department will inherently become more efficient. Additionally, the 27-ft ceilings provide a lot of latitude for additional storage. The high ceilings also help maintain a cooler working environment. “It’s a square warehouse that doesn’t have a bad square foot in it,” says Jay Brewster, Allied’s Logistics Manager.
Easier truck loading. The new DC has seven loading docks whereas the previous facility had four. More importantly, the new DC is in a more carrier-friendly location right off of Illinois Highway 173. The docks are far back from the road so there is less congestion and drivers can back in easily. There is also ample space for trucks to get turned around. Finally, because everything is now under one roof, carriers will no longer have to travel between two facilities (Twin Lakes and Genoa City) to pick up all of their cargo.
Deeper inventory levels. With so much additional storage space, Allied Plastics can bring in higher volumes of materials for longer periods of time. This is an important benefit these days when lead times have gotten much longer.
