Warehousing Education and Expo in the Lone Star State

In just four days, the Warehousing Education & Research Council (WERC) kicks off its 40^th Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.  The event starts on Sunday, April 30, and runs through Wednesday, May 3, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.   On the agenda are 90 educational seminars, peer-to-peer discussions, facility tours, and networking receptions.  At the expo, attendees will have the chance to explore the industry’s most innovative products, technologies, and equipment— from material handling and warehousing solutions to packaging supplies and lighting.  Also, five keynote speakers will take the main stage to present tips and lessons for your supply chain as well as a motivational speech that hinges on unlocking success in the workplace, presented by Illusionist, Puzzle Expert, and Author David Kwong.

Of the seven facility tours scheduled at this event, Rose Pallet is most curious about the Walmart.com fulfillment center. Participants will witness first-hand how Walmart runs a 24/7 facility capable of processing more than 200,000 units a day. The 180,000-square-foot operation supports both direct-to-consumer and store shipments with a pick tower, narrow aisle storage, two miles of belt- and roller-driven conveyors, a fleet of fork lifts and trucks, and 20 automated shipping lanes.

We are also interested in many of the breakout sessions, but especially the first one at 8am on Monday morning presented by DHL Supply Chain, one of our customers and an established leader in third-party logistics for all of North America. Entitled “Reduce Shipping Costs with Carton Optimization,” this session will cover how to utilize a packaging optimization engine that recommends the ideal array of shipping cartons and/or made-to-order packaging.  For a full listing of events and presentations, click here.

We hope you can attend the conference and, if you do, please return to this post and comment with feedback on your experience.  And, as always, for all of your pallet management needs, call on Rose Pallet; we are ready and prepared to help you for the long haul!