Briggs & Stratton triples storage capacity with multi-level mezzanine

Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America’s number one manufacturer of portable generators and pressure washers. The company is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of standby generators, along with lawn, garden and turf care through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris® and Murray® brands. Its products are available in over 100 countries on six continents. To efficiently support Briggs & Stratton products with service parts, it is imperative that its worldwide distribution center efficiently operate and expedite order fulfillment throughout the 450,000-square-foot facility.

CHALLENGE

To make room for additional inventory, the primary Briggs & Stratton Distribution Center added 150,000 square feet onto its existing facility. The building addition needed a way to effectively store over 30,000 more SKUs and facilitate expedited order fulfillment.

SOLUTION

Briggs & Stratton could build up to a 225,000-square-foot addition to facilitate the inventory and provide room for growth. With the help of MiTek Mezzanine Systems and Storage Systems Midwest, they were able to reduce that number to 150,000 square feet by utilizing a mezzanine for vertical storage. A two-level mezzanine which offered three levels of storage was custom designed to fit the 34-foot-tall space. Mezzanine installation and construction of the addition occurred simultaneously which enabled the mezzanine’s massive footplates and columns to be installed below the concrete floor for added structural support. Reducing obstructions by minimizing the amount of columns and concealing footplates was critical for operations. As an added feature, a catwalk and ramp were installed to connect the new mezzanine to existing mezzanine racking and storage in the adjacent building.

RESULTS

Working together as team, MiTek and Storage Systems Midwest put Briggs & Stratton on the fast track to greater storage. And, three months ahead of schedule and under budget, the addition was constructed and outfitted with the mezzanine. By providing the greatest amount of storage in the smallest footprint possible, the mezzanine reduced the square feet required for the addition. Greater savings were realized by minimizing construction costs and utilities expenditures which would have resulted from a larger addition. Strategic positioning of the mezzanine also had a significant effect, as it accommodated level-to-level conveyors from the new addition to the existing building. This enabled Briggs & Stratton operations to flow uninterrupted, contributing to faster order fulfillment, seamless cycle counts and greater employee productivity.