Dependable forklifts and responsive service help Lipari pursue its goal of 100 percent uptime, every day.
The RM Series' Xpress Lower feature and the adoption of process changes, robust structural racking and an engineered standard enabled Lipari to maintain high productivity while completely eliminating damage to racking.
Crown's thorough understanding of the business processes and project goals helped ensure the new warehouse would be completed on schedule, adapting to new requirements along the way.
Director of Warehouse Operations - Lipari Foods
Since 1963, Lipari Foods has been a wholesale distributor of dry, refrigerated and frozen foods, today serving fourteen states across the Midwest. Headquartered in Warren, MI, Lipari recently completed the development of a new 260,000 square foot warehouse to support the company's rapid growth.
When taking on a significant project like the development of a new warehouse, Lipari Foods wanted to ensure it made smart business decisions about the warehouse design, racking and material handling equipment needs for its operation. Lipari had never adopted an engineered standard for its racking system, simply adding uprights and rails on an as needed basis. The company also experienced frequent damage to its rack, requiring replacement of at least one rack per week on an ongoing basis. The new warehouse provided the opportunity to do things a better way but the company wanted the advice of a trusted supplier to help make the right decisions.
Lipari sought help from Crown Equipment to develop a complete solution for its new warehouse, from the layout to the racking and the material handling equipment deployed throughout the facility. Crown experts became embedded in the project, working through every new challenge and design iteration, helping Lipari to adopt an engineered standard for all of its racking and select robust structural rack that would meet its demands.
In an effort to reduce rack damage, Lipari also wanted to implement process changes to prevent reach truck operators from traveling while raising and lowering the forks, but had hesitated because it would reduce overall productivity. The RM Series reach trucks' Xpress Lower feature eliminated the concern, enabling the company to make the change while maintaining its high level of productivity.