Garment Storage - LINK 51 provides the full range of options
From bulk pallet racking and carton location to hand picking – the full range of storage requirements is now being met by Link 51 at the new Americana International warehouse facility in Manchester. A key element in the organisation’s distribution of the Hooch fashion range and Bench ‘street-wear’ clothing, the installation reflects the company’s dramatic growth which today sees it supply thousands of retail and wholesale customers both in the UK and overseas.
A remarkable 7.5 million individual items are now processed through the new site. Bulk deliveries feed some 2,500 pallet positions which accommodate products ahead of their breakdown either into cartons housed on the lower racking levels or in 20,000 separate shelving locations. Link 51 has fitted the former with mesh decks to allow cartons to be located into the same racking frame work. From here, products are either despatched as boxed units or sorted to the individual bin positions - itself constructed from Link 51’s highly versatile and robust Euro-shelving system.
“The throughput of our products is ongoing throughout the year so Link 51’s role both in installing the racking and shelving systems, and also acting as project managers for the overall storage equipment installation, has been fundamental,” comments Damion Laycock, Logistics Director at Americana International. He points out that this broader role undertaken by Link 51 has included liaison with specialist services such as the forklift truck manufacturers and the installers of the in-rack sprinkler system, as well as taking overall responsibility for health and safety issues.
“Our work also involved relocating the existing racking at the site by bringing it forward some eight metres to create additional space behind which allowed for the optimum use to be made of the available space,” points out Link 51’s Marketing Manager, Emma Bloomer. “Importantly, the entire project was completed while Americana International remained operational with no down-time affecting their handling procedures."
The rapid reaction and fashion sensitivity issues that the garment industry can experience clearly places great emphasis on the ability of leading suppliers, such as Americana International, to react to orders quickly and accurately. The installation of the Link 51 equipment is now playing a central role in meeting this need and is contributing to the ongoing success of one of the industry’s fastest growing organisations.
