New Balance runs faster with new trucks

The athletic-wear company doubles throughput while reducing repair costs in three distribution centers.

Modern Materials Handling - October 2, 2006

When New Balance first started making athletic shoes in 1906, the company didn't have to dedicate a lot of thought to how it was going to move merchandise through its warehouse. But business has changed in the last century and today managing efficiency in its three U.S. facilities with more than 800,000 square feet of space is an important part of the company's operations.

Recently, New Balance updated the lift truck fleets in its warehouses to increase throughput and reduce repair costs.

In addition to adding eight counterbalanced trucks and 11 narrow aisle walkies to its overall fleet, the company purchased 32 wire guided vehicles, including six reach trucks and 26 orderpickers for case picking.

The wire guided vehicles increased efficiency by freeing operators of steering responsibilities in narrow aisles. For example, the system quickly engages the guide signals where tracking and stability had been a problem in New Balance's Lawrence, Mass., facility. In the Ontario, Calif., warehouse, where open-ended aisles at each end presented safety concerns, magnets automatically slow the trucks when they approach intersections.

Decreasing vehicle downtime is another priority for New Balance. The new orderpickers, which run an entire shift on one battery charge, reduces the amount of time spent changing batteries in the two-shift-a-day Lawrence DC.

Repair costs and time lost to maintenance has also dropped since the introduction of the new trucks.

Since 1995, distribution output at New Balance has doubled while staff levels have stayed constant—a clear increase in operating efficiency. With a modern fleet of lift trucks, New Balance expects that output to continue to rise.