Global Industrial: Warehouse Automation Solutions for Suppliers and Operators
Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, where Kevin chats with Steven Leeds, Senior Category Manager at Global Industrial. Global Industrial supplies more than 1.6 million products to warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturers, and other industries across North America. As both a supplier and warehouse operator, the company brings a unique perspective to the challenges facing the industry.
For Global Industrial, Automation Solutions Start with Real Problems
Global Industrial’s perspective on automation is shaped by experience. The company operates five distribution centers in the United States and two in Canada, giving it firsthand knowledge of warehouse challenges. According to Leeds, many of the issues their customers face are the same ones they encounter themselves.
Leeds noted that “what I hear from customers a lot is that they need to do more with less.” That dilemma is driving interest in automation, but not necessarily in large-scale facility transformations. Instead, Global Industrial is seeing a more targeted approach. As he explained, “we’re seeing more targeted integrations of automation. It’s not just, ‘Hey, automate my entire facility.'”
Balancing Efficiency, Safety, and Employee Experience
Leeds emphasized that warehouse leaders continue to prioritize workplace safety and ergonomics as labor markets remain competitive. He explained that “the top thing that’s spoken about in our warehouse, and I believe should be the same for all other warehouses, is really worker safety and ergonomics.” Those concerns influence how Global Industrial develops and evaluates products for warehouse environments.
One example is the company’s autonomous stretch wrap machine. For instance, manual pallet wrapping can strain workers’ backs and shoulders and produce inconsistent results. Not to mention, make you dizzy. However, an automated solution can wrap a pallet in approximately 70 seconds, operate for an entire shift on a single battery charge, and process up to 250 pallets before recharging.
Beyond productivity gains, Leeds sees automation as a retention tool. He observed that “Nowadays, someone can go pay an extra dollar, and steal your entire workforce.” As a result, investments that improve employee comfort and reduce repetitive tasks can help create a more attractive workplace while supporting operational goals.
The Future of Automation Is Collaboration
One of the most interesting themes is the growing interest in technologies that eliminate tedious work, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities. Leeds pointed to autonomous floor scrubbers as an example. One manufacturer operating a three-million-square-foot facility implemented automation not across the entire operation, but specifically for walkway cleaning. The goal was simple: free employees to focus on more impactful work.
That experience led to a key realization. As Leeds explained, “it’s not about a total solution.” Instead, “it’s about identifying key issues, key problems, and then seeing if an autonomous machine can address them.” Looking ahead, Leeds expects automation adoption to continue growing as costs decline and technology becomes more accessible.
Key Takeaways
- Global Industrial serves warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturers, healthcare, hospitality, and education markets.
- The company offers approximately 1.6 million products.
- Global Industrial operates 5 U.S. distribution centers and 2 Canadian distribution centers.
- Autonomous stretch wrappers can wrap a pallet in approximately 70 seconds.
- Autonomous floor scrubbers can be programmed to clean specific areas and return to docking stations automatically.
- One customer used automation to clean walkways in a 3-million-square-foot facility.
Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.
Guest Information
For more information on Global Industrial, click here.
To connect with Steven Leeds on LinkedIn, click here.
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