Co Tops expansion plans completed on time in June 2006
Co Tops has for many years been a market leader in high quality customisation of kitchen and counter worktops. From its purpose built premises in Dunstable Co Tops team of specialists have provided their customers all over the country with tailor made worktops manufactured to exact dimensions and specification.
Managing Director - Nick Weall explains that the company’s success has come from satisfying customer’s demand for the highest levels of service and quality. Following this success it was decided to increase our product base by offering an exclusive range of quality worktops which can be supplied straight from the warehouse or customized as required. To cope with the new range and demand we extended our warehouse by 8500ft² and installed a guided aisle racking system to maximize storage density and to protect the products from damage. The new warehouse is capable of storing 8500 worktops in addition to the previous storage facility for 2000 worktops within our production unit.
With an eye for quality Co Tops chose Ohra racking and a Hubtex multidirectional electric Sideloader. Careful planning and attention to detail ensured that the truck, racking and product will live in complete harmony keeping damage and therefore operational costs to a minimum.
In addition a number of truck enhancements had been incorporated to help the drivers including: Camera system to aid stacking at higher lift heights, Pre-height selector to ensure forks are always at the right for stacking or de-stacking, Lift height limiter that allows the truck to automatically lift to higher rack levels towards the pitch of the roof depending on position down the aisle and finally the amount of mast reach can be driver selected depending on the depth of product stored.
Traditionally in this industry worktops are picked by bringing the bulk pack to the picking team who “decant” the required number from the pack before returning the part pack to its location. Multi handling means multiple opportunities to damage the expensive worktops. To minimize damage and with further increase in predicted turn over the Hubtex truck has been specified to accept a removable 2 man picking platform. This will reduce pick times and the possibilities for damage by taking the pickers to the product at its storage location. Furthermore picked loads can be completed before banding on the platform ready for immediate dispatch.