Industry Solutions

Tupperware Increases Space and Efficiency

In the Spring of 2002, Tupperware Corporation needed to expand its South Carolina distribution center to more efficiently move inbound product and outbound orders.  To meet the rigorous schedule demands, a one-stop company that could design, engineer, manufacture, install and project manage the job made the most sense - Pacific Westeel's full service capabilities were just what Tupperware needed.

The old and the new
Pacific proposed an 80' deep tote flow system which was engineered to accommodate the old, existing industrial flow rollers.  Integration and flexibility were the valuable keys to Pacific's design of a complex frame line and beam system, which comprised the main system structure.  The use of pre-existing components provided Tupperware with an economical solution that made sense.  The tote flow concept worked will for Tupperware's high-volume warehouse.

Getting it done
Manufacturing of special custom components was necessary for Tupperware's 80' deep system with nine levels of storage.  Each storage level required separate design and manufacturing of beam height and rotation in relationship to the beam brackets.  The added level of customization was required to facilitate proper flow rail installation.  With each storage level's variation, Pacific provided detailed installation drawings and specifications.  This depth of manufacturing capabilities provided Tupperware with on time delivery.

Running smoothly
The new system provided Tupperware with more storage, first-in first-out capabilities, and more selectivity -- all on schedule.

It was versatile and reliable enough to meet the challenges in distribution and customer service.  The distribution center experienced an increase in product throughput and product selectivity, increasing warehouse efficiency by 25 percent.  The huge, high density system increased Tupperware's storage capacity by 30 percent.  By adding 2,250 tote lanes, the new system increased Tupperware's storage capacity by approximately 60,000 storage totes.  The increase in available tote lanes has fulfilled Tupperware's need to expand on current product lines, to control peak delivery requirements for inventory, and to reduce increasing lead time demands on manufacturing facilities.  And, more important, they are more capable of satisfying customer demand for an increasing number of products.