Posted by Dan Storey on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 03:58 PM
Hello again. In this week's blog, we are going to cover a few basic terms and definitions as they apply to the material handling industry. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding material handling equipment.
Dedicated Aisles- An aisle in a warehouse serving only one 
function. This aisle can be for order selection, product storage, or both.
Buffer Storage- The part of a warehouse in which back-up or reserve stock is stored awaiting transfer into active storage.
Belt Conveyor- A continuous fabric, rubber, plastic, leather or metal belt operated over a suitable drive and tail end, and over belt idlers or slider bed for handling materials, packages or objects placed directly upon the belt.
Pallet Rack Shelving- Standard pallet rack can be equipped with shelf panel inserts so that pallet rack can be used for storing binnable, rackable or palletized materials as needs change.
Pallet Loader- An automatic or semiautomatic machine consisting of synchronized conveyors and mechanisms to receive objects from a conveyor(s) and place them onto pallets according to a prearranged pattern.
On behalf of all of us here at Storage Solutions, thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to join us again next week!
Posted by Dan Storey on Thu, May 13, 2010 @ 01:36 PM
Storage Solutions has a new intern! I would like to take a few minutes this week to introduce him to everyone. Let's get to know a little about James.
Where are you from? "I am from Elkhart, and I went to high school at Concord High. I am currently attending Ball State University where I study Marketing." 
What brought you to Storage Solutions? "I first came into contact with Storage Solutions at a BSU Career Fair. After coming in for an interview, I noticed that Storage Solutions is a great company, and is a market leader in the material handling industry. I decided to accept an internship position because I believe this experience will assist my own personal and professional development."
What has been your most interesting experience so far? "My most interesting moment so far has been going down to the jobsite in Greenwood, IN to see a new distribution center that we are outfitting with used pallet rack. I really enjoyed seeing how we turn a big empty warehouse into a fully equipped, fully functional distribution center."
Tell us something interesting about yourself. "I have an identical twin brother."
On behalf of everyone here at Storage Solutions, welcome to the team!
On a side note, we will be adding more material handling equipment to the clearance section of our website every week. Make sure to take a few minutes to see if there is anything on there that catches your eye!
Thanks for joining us this week. I hope you all check back again next Thursday.
Posted by Dan Storey on Thu, Apr 15, 2010 @ 10:10 AM
According to many industry experts, steel prices are set to soar in the next 12 months, and it could have an impact on everyone. Naturally, this will leave many people asking, “How is this going to affect me?”
In the material handling, distribution and warehousing industries, steel price fluctuation has a huge impact on the price of new and used storage equipment. Pallet rack uprights, beams, shelving, mezzanines and wire decking are the main components of the material handling world, and all are made from steel. What this means is that even products that don’t have steel in them will still be stored in warehouses and distribution centers that are built with steel based products. Therefore, their costs will rise, which will mean they will have to charge more for their goods and services. All of this is going to trickle down to the consumer level, and the end result will be an increase in general prices of consumer goods.
We are seeing an increase in quoting activity due to this steel price concern. Due to projected demand and current low inventories we recommend identifying your needs for any new and used material handling equipment as early as possible. We are already seeing manufacturers decrease the amount of time you have to respond to a quoted price because they are anticipating the increase in steel prices. It is in everyone’s best interest to be proactive and purchase any storage equipment that will be needed over the next 6-9 months as soon as possible.
Why could this happen? Iron ore is the main ingredient in steel. A few weeks ago, mining companies Vale and BHP Billiton struck a deal with Japanese and Chinese mills to end the 40-year old benchmark system of annual contracts and lengthy price negotiations. Under the new system, iron ore prices will be negotiated quarterly. The general consensus seems to be that this switch will see iron ore prices continue to rise over the next 12 months, and there does not appear to be an end in sight. This hike in iron ore costs will have an immediate impact on the price of steel. The overall cost of steel based consumer products such as automobiles, household appliances, and everything in between will be subject to rising costs. The end users of these products could ultimately be the ones paying for this increase in iron ore and steel prices. Time will tell…
Posted by Dan Storey on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 02:31 PM
I'd like to begin this week by thanking those of you who have been following Storage Solutions on Facebook and Twitter. We now have 38 Facebook fans, and over 100 followers on our Twitter accounts! If you are currently following us add us now: Facebook and Twitter
This weekend marks our one year anniversary in our new and improved facility. For those of you that don't know, last year on April 10th we moved into a new facility that provides over 250,000 sq feet of warehouse space! As of today we are almost completely filled up with tons of new and used pallet racking beams, uprights, wire decks, and other types of material handling equipment, and it is all in great condition because we are able to store everything indoors. Having everything under one roof allows us to quickly access our inventory to meet your needs and make sure our quality of service exceeds expectations!
If you haven't had a chance to see our new facility, check it out on our virtual tour.
Posted by Dan Storey on Thu, Apr 01, 2010 @ 03:53 PM
Ah, April 1st is finally here. One thing that the beginning of April marks (other than a laundry list of pranks and jokes) is the beginning of this year’s Final Four! It has been a crazy tournament thus far, and with hometown heroes Butler appearing in the semi-finals this year, it promises for a thrilling conclusion.
In honor of this exciting occasion, we have decided to do this week’s blog on “4 Steps to Building a Successful Warehouse.”
1.
Plan the Layout—There are a few important factors that go into planning the layout of your warehouse. Your floor plan will have a big impact on the way you want to outfit your facility with pallet rack. For example, areas with offices, bathrooms, and exits will need to be taken into account when determining the location of your pallet rack or shelving units.
It helps to gather as much information about the layout of your facility, but a lot of this info should be available on the building’s blueprints. Our team of CAD specialists will assist you in designing the layout of your warehouse.
2.
Select the Appropriate Equipment—Now that you have a better idea of where you would like to put your storage equipment, you need to determine what your specific needs are so that we can help identify the best solution to your warehousing needs. Our sales representatives will help you select from a wide variety of storage options including pallet rack, drive-in rack, pushback rack, steel shelving, rivet shelving, etc. The key here is to carefully analyze your unique needs in order to ensure that your storage facility operates at the most efficient level possible.
3.
Installation—The installation of your storage equipment should be a relatively simple task.
If it is a small job, most of the equipment can be assembled by your warehouse workers. However, if you are outfitting an entire warehouse with pallet rack or shelving units, I would recommend calling a professional to help with the installation. Storage Solutions has a crew of professional installers that would be happy to help you install new equipment, or tear down and move existing equipment. Other options would be to call a third party contractor.
4.
Upkeep—Now that you have outfitted your warehouse with storage equipment, you need to make sure to keep tabs on the condition of your storage equipment.
The most important thing in your warehouse is the safety of your employees. Make sure to stay proactive; identify and resolve any potentially problematic areas before someone gets hurt. Storage Solutions is partnered with the Safety Managment Group, and we provide safety consulting, training, staffing, program planning and implementation on your job. If you have questions about the condition of your storage equipment, give us a call and we will be happy to help.
That’s it for this week’s Storage Solutions blog. Enjoy the rest of this year’s NCAA basketball tourney, and please join us again next week!