Heavy Duty Warehouse Racking

The Challenge: Overcoming Over-Stocking and Supply Chain Inefficiencies

F.H. Brundle, the UK’s largest stockist of handrailing components, wrought iron, welded mesh, and expanded metal, faced inefficiencies in its supply chain. Operating from seven regional branches, excessive overstocking and inconsistent distribution became costly and unwieldy. To address these challenges, the company sought to create a centralised distribution centre capable of holding all 8,000+ product lines, reducing stock at branches, and improving efficiency.

The Approach: Centralising Storage with a New Distribution Centre

F.H. Brundle selected a 200,000 sq. ft. site in Burton-on-Trent for their distribution centre. Apex, a long-term racking partner, was tasked with designing a solution to accommodate their vast and varied stock. The racking solution featured:

• A wide-aisle pallet racking design with 571 bays and a two-tier structure for bin storage.
• Custom beam profiles tailored to product categories, such as fencing and welded mesh, to maximise space and improve accessibility.
• Clear visual indicators on beams for forklift operators, ensuring safe and efficient handling. The warehouse was organised in a horseshoe layout to streamline goods-in, picking, and goods-out processes.

The Difference: Apex Racking’s Tailored Storage Solutions

Apex’s racking system transformed F.H. Brundle’s operations by:

• Centralising stock in a purpose-built distribution centre.
• Reducing branch overstock and optimising supply chain efficiency.
• Providing a flexible, scalable solution to meet diverse product storage needs.

This Whittan solution, designed and manufactured in the UK, enabled F.H. Brundle to enhance operational efficiency and set a blueprint for future storage and distribution practices.

Why Choose Whittan?

Whittan’s innovative and tailored solutions are designed to optimise storage and distribution for businesses of all sizes. With Apex’s expertise in pallet racking, they delivered a flexible and future-proof system that met F.H. Brundle’s complex requirements.