Rising Above
The role of a mezzanine supplier has evolved considerably in recent years. Peter MacLeod asks MiTek’s Bart Pulles to bring him up to speed.
Credit: Peter MacLeod, Logistics Business Publishing Ltd
To embrace the growth in warehouse automation, suppliers of traditional mezzanine solutions have become considerably more creative. Instead of just providing additional linear floorspace, for example to increase the number of pick faces, the mezzanine supplier of today can play a vital role in assisting a warehouse to utilise every cubic metre of available space and support the increased use of automated technology in modern warehouses.
Such a mezzanine company is MiTek, which has enjoyed tremendous growth on the strength of its consultative approach to the challenge of space optimisation. It has expanded its European business in recent years, and to this end has built a team of 10 engineers and salespersons in Cologne, headed by Operations and Sales Manager Bart Pulles. As well as eyeing up opportunities in areas where greenfield warehousing is booming, such as central and southern Europe, Pulles says growth will come from companies who are expanding their eCommerce activities. “They are optimising their warehousing by using the airspace that was not previously used in the building, and modernising intralogistics processes, which is where we come in,” he says.
That means designing a structure to integrate optimally with technologies such as AGVs and AutoStore solutions. To adapt to ever-changing market conditions, MiTek’s steel solutions are available in both cold-formed (potentially less expensive, lighter and easier to install) and a combination of hot-rolled and cold-rolled (more steel, but a better solution for heavy loads, fixed robots and vibration absorption).
Early Intervention
In a market sector that is traditionally price-driven, MiTek says it differentiates itself from its competitors through early intervention. By working with customers at an early stage in the project, Pulles says it can find the right solution: “For example, detailed discussions with the customer may reveal that there is a limitation to how much weight the slab can hold - if the slab is limited, you need more columns, which is more steel. So we may recommend to upgrade the slab, as this would allow for greater spans and thus fewer vertical columns. This can save the customer money and also mean fewer obstacles for forklifts, etc. Sharing our knowledge and experience is absolutely the best solution for all of us.”
MiTek’s highly experienced in-house engineering team specialises in designing complex steel structures to seamlessly connect with integration technology. With proven project management and phasing skills, MiTek will devise the most time-efficient build plan, dovetailing schedules with other contractors to achieve the earliest possible completion date. Of course, early engagement with the mezzanine supplier helps ensure a project is allocated the production capacity it needs to minimise the lead time.
As a designer, manufacturer and installer of mezzanine solutions for nearly 40 years, MiTek is able to offer clients its experience from over 20,000 projects worldwide and is well placed to propose the best mezzanine or steel support structure solution for a customer. “In our mezzanine consultation role, we help customers analyse their mezzanine requirements and create the best design both in terms of space creation and integration with their chosen automation partners,” Pulles tells me. “We will always make sure that the requirements match the client’s future business ambition. In addition, MiTek has a really solid supply chain, and partners that are regularly vetted for all the required accreditations. With the appointment of a dedicated HSEQ Manager we ensure that Health and Safety is an integral part of our operations and often lead on related initiatives within our industry. The H&S standards in the UK are higher than in the rest of Europe, so we apply those standards to our projects in Europe.”
Today’s typical warehouse differs from a decade ago, in that it now needs more complex engineering, such as conveyors hung from mezzanines or connected together through voids, and the rise in AutoStore projects bring their own individual challenges. MiTek has moved quickly to satisfy these changing market demands with new products. Furthermore, Pulles concludes, it is constantly evolving its existing solutions to reduce on-site installation time to achieve ever-faster handover. MiTek is growing its market share in Europe at such a rate that it aims to triple its business in the next three years, and is putting in place the infrastructure to ensure it can cater for the rise in demand.
Written and Distributed by:
Logistics Business Publishing Ltd
https://www.logisticsbusiness.com/
