Leading shoe supplier, Clarks, has announced that the material handling systems at its brand-new logistics facility in Hanover, Pennsylvania, will be supplied by warehouse automation provider, KNAPP.

At a recent ‘groundbreaking ceremony’ at the site of the state-of-the-art distribution centre, which will be located directly opposite the company’s current facility, the management of Clarks Companies, North America (CCNA) revealed that the logistics solution will be designed and installed by KNAPP Logistics Automation Inc, the Austrian group’s US subsidiary. This significant order follows on from highly successful collaboration with KNAPP since the company installed the handling system at Clarks’ worldwide headquarters in Street, Somerset, in 2005. That system has been upgraded several times since by KNAPP and continues to be maintained by a resident team of KNAPP engineers.

The new logistics centre will employ leading-edge technology capable of handling volumes of up to 50 million pairs of shoes annually to support growing demand from customers and retailers in the US. The new building – which will be 451,000 square feet (almost 42,000m2) and approaching 25m in height – is expected to be occupied by the end of 2012. To ensure highly efficient operations and ergonomic material handling from unloading through to shipping, the new facility will feature the latest KNAPP technology. At the core of the new handling system will be KNAPP’s OSR Shuttle™ system, used for goods-to-person picking, buffering, storage and sequencing. This proven solution offers an optimal combination of storage density, speed and reliability, making it ideal for Clarks’ current and growing business demands. Maximum use of building height, flexibility in balancing workloads between functional operations and low energy consumption through OSR Shuttle™ technology will also support Clarks’ requirements for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the US scheme for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Commented Len Bucher, Vice President of Logistics for Clarks NA, “During the design and selection process, KNAPP’s innovative solution combined with their willingness to work with the Clarks team were key items that allowed them to differentiate their company from other vendors.” Josef Mentzer, Chief Operating Officer for KNAPP Logistics Automation Inc, said: “Based on a uniquely different concept, our solution utilised KNAPP’s extensive engineering expertise and broad technology portfolio to create a flexible, progressive system to support Clarks’ order processes and future growth.”

KNAPP UK Ltd

Mr Craig Rollason, Head of Sales & Marketing

Tel: 01844 202149

Email: craig.rollason@knapp.com

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