Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest Florida community of Arcadia and, simply put, it is the most technologically advanced facility in the company's supply chain arsenal

DSN Retailing Today, May 9, 2005 by Mike Troy

Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest Florida community of Arcadia and, simply put, it is the most technologically advanced facility in the company's supply chain arsenal.

At 865,000 square feet, other DCs are larger, but the Arcadia location is a marvel of automation that reflects the most recent supply chain thinking of a company recognized as a logistics leader. Automatic cranes, conveyors and lifts know where to stow products, when to retrieve them, how they should be routed and onto which trucks they should be placed. Multiple climate zones ensure ice cream is kept at 20 degrees below zero and vegetables are stored at 56 degrees and precise humidity levels.

The building is impressive, but the fact that the 600 people who work there managed to get it open on time is more amazing. Hurricane Charley ripped through Arcadia last summer. Homes were destroyed, lives were disrupted and it was no picnic working at the DC in the storm's aftermath.

In the understatement of the day at the grand opening, assistant gm Andy Leopard said, "We went several months without running water in the building and there were a lot of challenges associated with that."

The facility begins shipping merchandise, as planned, on May 22--a week before the official start of hurricane season.