Sparta, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/29/2010 -- Manufacturing journalist TR Cutler recently profiled the extraordinary accomplishment of Integrated Systems Group in transforming one of the distribution centers of Hy-Vee. The feature article was published in the current issue of Manufacturing & Supply Chain News by WTG Expert.

Hy-Vee is a touchstone for Midwest consumers’ desire for information on diet, nutrition and wellness topics. Hy-Vee was expanding the Cherokee, Iowa facility recently and according to Tod Hockenson, Vice-President of Distribution, “We contacted several rack suppliers and the project was awarded to Integrated Systems Group (ISG) based on price, expertise, and past customer service. Challenges…cost, functional design, timing of installation with other building contractors, product durability and compatibility of new equipment with our existing facility were all considerations.”

The company’s distribution operations are based in Chariton, Iowa, where there are more than 1.5 million square feet of state-of-the-art warehouse space. Another large distribution center, encompassing 650,000 square feet of space for dry food products and general merchandise, is located in Cherokee, Iowa.

Integrated Systems Group (ISG), http://www.integratedsysgroup.com, a division of Speedrack Products Group Ltd., is an integral part of a company with decades of material handling experience. It is one of the largest companies in the industry and enjoys a very strong financial position. ISG’s “forward thinking” engineering, design, and project management staff make it possible to design, develop, and deliver highly functional and cost-effective quality material handling systems to meet client’s specific needs every time.

Hockenson said, “Hy-Vee’s productivity is up about 10 percent and we increased our storage capacity by about 50 percent with this new addition.”

According to Tim Bastic, Vice-President of ISG, “Due to Hy-Vee’s continuing growth in their marketplace and desire to better service their company owned stores, they needed to maximize available cube utilization in the new dry grocery addition. ISG provided carton flow racks for each picking of medium movers over the dock area (which is typically dead space) for space utilization along with over the dock empty pallet storage locations. They needed an installation based on an accelerated time schedule, on time and under budget, while providing storage systems that would stand the test of time.”

Bastic said that, “The design of the Hy-Vee facility was to optimize storage capacity, worked in concert with the building architect on optimal building column spacing. Racking systems with features to insure the long-term life of the racking systems, protecting the racking investment specific to potential impact from lift equipment by specially designed racking uprights and unique end of aisle guarding.”

Bastic reported that “ISG worked hand-in-glove with our parent company, Speedrack Products Group, on a unique rack design that would provide long term strength and impact resistance. While protecting the racking we also are protecting the Hy-Vee grocery products in the racks as compared to occasionally used offset rack frames, which keep the rack frame away from the aisle but expose the product in the rack to potential impact and damage. ISG/Speedrack’s design protects both the product and the racking for a lower cost per frames than off set type upright frames. The rack frames were designed to be 44? deep vs. more conventional 42? to better protect the in-rack product and keep very narrow aisles to a minimum.”

Integrated Systems Group
http://www.integratedsysgroup.com
Joel Bos
isgsales@speedrack.net
800-752-7352