Netrush Kentucky E-commerce Fulfillment Warehouse

Project Overview

Netrush, a US-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider, automated order fulfillment operations at its main warehouse facility in Kentucky. The company offers integrated logistics services for e-commerce retailers and ships out 20,000 orders daily for a variety of consumer brands, including Duracell, Leatherman, and Yakima. The facility faces significant seasonal demand, with shipping volumes growing by 4-5 times during peak periods.

To address the need for efficient and scalable picking, Netrush implemented the Brightpick Retriever robot system. This automation project aimed to enhance picking accuracy, reduce labor-intensive travel, and create a fulfillment operation resilient to major demand fluctuations.

Technical Solution

Brightpick Retriever Robots (Goods-to-Person)

The core of the solution is the Brightpick Retriever, an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) configured for Goods-to-Person (G2P) operations. The robots autonomously navigate the warehouse to retrieve storage totes from standard shelving and transport them directly to a designated picking station. This system eliminates the need for human workers to walk the warehouse floor to pick items or replenish stock.

Key Features

The Brightpick Retriever robots provide a complete Goods-to-Person solution, automating both the retrieval of items for orders and the subsequent restocking of inventory, which streamlines two major warehouse workflows.

The system is designed for a baseline throughput of 200 picks per hour using a single human-operated picking station, providing a solid foundation for daily operations.

A significant advantage is the use of standard warehouse shelving and totes, which allowed for rapid deployment and easy integration into Netrush's existing facility layout without costly modifications.

The solution is inherently scalable. Netrush has a clear upgrade path to boost performance, first by enhancing the picking station to handle more totes concurrently, and later by potentially upgrading robots to the Brightpick Autopicker model for even greater throughput.

Results & Benefits

The automated system supports the consistent processing of 20,000 customer orders each day for Netrush's diverse portfolio of client brands.

The robotic solution provides the operational resilience needed to manage extreme peak season volumes, which can grow to 4-5 times the normal rate, without a proportional increase in labor or space.

By bringing items to the picker, the system eliminates non-productive walk time for human workers. Furthermore, the robots fully automate the replenishment process, freeing staff from this repetitive task and allowing them to focus on value-added activities.

Challenges & Solutions

A primary operational challenge was designing a system capable of handling extreme peaks in order volume, which surge to 4-5 times the normal daily rate. The Brightpick robotic system provides the necessary scalability and consistent performance to manage this high volatility effectively.

Netrush required an automation solution that could be implemented without disruptive and expensive changes to their existing warehouse infrastructure. The Brightpick robots met this need by operating seamlessly with the facility's standard shelving and storage totes, enabling a fast and straightforward integration.

System Integrator

Brightpick provided the complete robotic Goods-to-Person solution, including the Brightpick Retriever AMRs, associated software for multi-robot orchestration, and system integration services tailored to Netrush's existing warehouse environment.