The American Warehouse Systems Blog Has Moved

OK this may be my last post at this URL. Our blog moved to our main site several months ago and we are running smoothly. The new blog is integrated into our AW-Systems site. I post every week usually on Wednesday (sometimes Thursday or Friday) about the things I enjoy like material handling equipment and systems, the military and sometimes politics.

Please use the following links to navigate and utilize the new site.

http://aw-systems.com/blog/
RSS Feed: http://aw-systems.com/blog/feed/

There certainly is a chance that once a month or so I will be back here to send out a reminder. If you are able though, I would switch over to the new blog now.

Hytrol Conveyor for Pearl Harbor Naval Base

This weeks blog post is about a large conveyor project we participated in for Pearl Harbor Naval Base. For the full story go to our corporate blog here; American Warehouse Systems Blog.
Hopefully by now most of our readers have realized our blog has moved. I will continue to send out notification on our old blog for a few more months but the end is near for this site.
All our blog posts either are or will be moved to the new site. Please check it out. We are very proud of it.

Very Cool Post on a Military UAV.

This week's blog is about the Bluebird Aero MicroB Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( UAV ). I had a lengthy conversation with a soldier who used one of these in Iraq.
For more information check out the full article. http://bit.ly/8YLONN
If you don't already know this, my blog has officially moved onto our corporate website. http://aw-systems.com/blog/ Next time you have a few minutes, stop by and check it out.

We really like the new look and the ease of article browsing. See you there!

Maintenance Platform for the 934th Airlift Wing

This week's blog post is on a very interesting project we recently completed for the "Flying Vikings", Minnesota's own 934th Airlift Wing.

American Warehouse Systems had a great time working with the Air National Guard designing a safe ergonomic way to transport tools and personnel from the hangar floor to the wing of their C-130H3's.

We implemented an American Mezzanine System with a special drawbridge and an elevated tool crib to create the perfect solution for our friends at the 934th.

For the full story check out our blog at American Warehouse Systems Blog.

Mezzanine System for Defense Logistics Agency

This week's blog highlights a mezzanine project American Warehouse Systems completed for the Defense Logistics Agency at one of their distribution centers. It was one of the largest mezzanine structures we have every completed, almost 40,000 Sq. Ft.!
For more information, you can read the full article on American Warehouse Systems Blog

Material Handling System for US Embassy Praia

This week our blog post highlights a recent project American Warehouse Systems implemented for the US Embassy Praia in the island country of Cape Verde. It was a very complex project requiring many different products integrated into one system. Because of our large GSA product and service offerings we were able to complete the project entirely on GSA contract.

To read the full story, visit American Warehouse Systems Blog.

Gravity Flow Pallet Rack for Pioneer Hi-Bred

Pioneer Hi-Bred is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers worldwide. With the increase in demand for their products, they were confronted with re-evaluating their storage capacity within their facilities. They approached American Warehouse Systems for help with this issue.

In an effort to store as many pallets as possible in the existing warehouse, Pioneer looked to the various high density storage options. American Warehouse Systems assisted with the design and layout in the non-uniform product area. After our site visit and application analysis, it was determined the designated area allowed for 8 bays of 4 to 8 pallets deep on a gravity flow system, allowing 150 pallet positions in 1,001 square feet of floor space. We used the Logix 2000 Polycarbonate wheel flow lanes from InterRoll on Unarco Structural style pallet racking to hold the 1,500 pound pallets of product.

Pioneer Hi-Bred was so pleased with the results, they recently ordered another 3 bays of 4 pallets deep to add on to the original system, giving them another 36 pallet positions in only 193 square feet of floor space. We would like to thank Pioneer for the order and wish them the best for years to come.

If you are interested in high density pallet storage please visit our Storage Rack section or our High Density Storage pages.

GSA "Green" Solution for the US Navy

As promised, I will continue to post a title, short description and a link to our new blog at, http://aw-systems.com/blog/. It's still not quite up to speed but I'm being as patient as I can be. I'm assured it will be there soon. In the meantime, please forgive our mess and come check it out.

Today's post discusses how American Warehouse Systems provided a sensible "green" solution to a US Navy facility that needed 25% more pallet storage but couldn't acquire more square footage within their facility.

See the entire post at American Warehouse Systems Blog.

Finally! Our Blog Has Moved!

After much delay we have finally migrated our blog to our website. We feel there is great value in having the blog resident on our main site at the folder level. This of course will cause some confusion and issues moving forward but we hope all will hang with us during the mess.
Now it's not quite all together and pretty yet but we expect it will be in a few short weeks. In the meantime I will be blogging on both sites with the "meat" on the new blog and a short description and a link on this site.
This week I am profiling a TA-50 Military Gear Locker application we completed for the United States Army. We replaced their old "school" type lockers with some very nice custom lockers. The entire project was very cost effective and all purchased on our GSA Contract. Read more about it; TA-50 Military Gear Lockers at Army Base.
See our new blog here; American Warehouse Systems Blog.

463L Pallet Conveyor System at FL Air Force Base

American Warehouse Systems has recently completed a 463L pallet conveyor system on a mezzanine for Hurlburt Field in Florida.
The customer needed the 463L conveyor system mounted 10' off the ground for a training facility. American Warehouse Systems designed a mezzanine to support our conveyor and transfer bed for the air cargo 463L pallet. This is no easy task as the 463L pallet is designed to carry up to 10,000 lbs. The mezzanine had to be designed and fabricated to support the point load of the pallet and the horizontal motion of the pallet as it moves down the system. Fortunately we have a great deal of experience designing specialty systems for our customers and the project went off beautifully.
American Warehouse Systems is the number one supplier of mezzanine systems to the Department of Defense and the highest volume mezzanine supplier on GSA ( General Services Administration ) contract. We are often tasked with supplying a mezzanine system with ancillary items like 463L pallet conveyor or material lifts, shelving, lights, fire suppression, etc. Because we have all of these items and more on our GSA contract, we are able to supply complete turn-key systems to our Federal Government clients worldwide. For more information follow the links; 463L Pallet Conveyor, Mezzanine Systems, GSA Contract.

America Rising: An Open Letter to Democrat Politicians

Although many of us never did "Drink the Kool-Aid", this is a great video nontheless. It is a clear message about how America feels. Enjoy.

A Great Networking and Educational Event

I realize that most folks that read this blog aren't in the Minneapolis area but it would be nothing but wrong if I didn't mention the Linked Minnesota Summer Extravaganza on June 21st at the Minneapolis Airport Hilton. Linked Minnesota is a group formed on LinkedIn (and still going strong) of businesses and individuals with interest in networking mainly for business. Every month the group meets for a lunch networking program somewhere in the Twin Cites and twice a year the group has a large event. Next Monday is the big summer event.
This program should be great! It looks to be quite large also with close to 500 attendees and over 60 booths. American Warehouse Systems will be there for any material handling systems needs as will our favorite big sister Toyota-Lift of Minnesota.
The big attraction of the event is Headline Speaker, Sam Richter. I recently saw Sam speak at the MHEDA convention in FL and he blew everyone away with his knowledge. In my world I spend most of my time trying to figure out how to increase traffic to my site and helping others do the same. Sam spins the table and shows us great ways to utilize search tools on the Internet to find just about anything. It is amazing how much sales intelligence one can gain just by using Sam's strategies. The information Sam gives is worth your time and well worth the $17 admission fee to the event. If you are interested in increasing your sales knowledge and you will be in the Minneapolis area next Monday, make sure you attend the Linked Minnesota Summer Extravaganza. While you are there make sure you stop by our table and say hi.
For more information check here. Summer Extravaganza

American Warehouse Systems Hosts LinkedIn Event

Monday, June 14, 2010 you will have the opportunity to join us at Gabe’s Roadhouse in St. Paul, MN for a LinkedMinnesota lunch event. LinkedMinnesota organizes a networking lunch every month for Minnesota businesses. This month's event is sponsored by American Warehouse Systems.

We will begin the day at 11:15 AM with casual networking. The goal with the networking is to meet and connect with at least 10 new contacts. Once the networking is finished up, find a table and join others for lunch. The networking is FREE, you only need to cover the cost of your lunch.

Gabe's Roadhouse offers wonderful daily lunch and dinner specials to fit your budget. Gabe's is fully automated with 13 HD BIG screen plasma TV's and theater surround sound to provide you with the most exciting venue for all of your premier sports events. Whether you need a great place to grab a bite to eat or are looking for somewhere to sit down and grab a drink, Gabe's Roadhouse is the place.

RSVP by Friday, June 11th if you plan to attend. Contact Kari Heid at 763-315-9207 or karih@aw-systems.com. We hope to see you there.

American Warehouse Systems Receives Recognition Award

On April 28, 2010, American Warehouse Systems received a Certificate of Recognition from the State of Minnesota and The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). This award is given out every year to small businesses that excel in bringing federal dollars to Minnesota through Federal Government Contracts. This past year American Warehouse Systems was #10 on the list of Minnesota Small Businesses to receive federal dollars through government contracts. We were also #63 out of 3564 Minnesota companies of any size or socio-economic status receiving federal contracts.
This year’s award marks the 6th consecutive year American Warehouse Systems has earned this honor. We are proud to support our nation by providing high quality warehouse systems and proud to support our state by bringing Federal dollars to Minnesota.
American Warehouse Systems is a full service material handling systems integrator specializing in US Federal Government warehouse and distribution centers. We design, install and implement systems worldwide for our Federal Government clients via several long term government contracts.
The Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is a program of MEDA. PTAC is administered in partnership with the Defense Logistics Agency, a division of the Department of Defense.

My Visit to St. Louis and Starrco

Last week I was hosted by my good friends at Starrco in St. Louis MO. Starrco manufactures inplant modular offices and buildings, prefabricated buildings, cleanrooms and just about any other form of hard wall enclosure. I was warmly received by the good people at Starrco, given the tour of the factory and had a great day of meetings with their personnel. The atmosphere was business of course but the Starrco crew has a way of bringing fun into any situation. What a great company to do business with.
For those that aren't certain what a modular office or warehouse enclosure is I've included this brief description of what Starrco does from the fine people themselves.

Starrco Modular wall systems provide a secure, comfortable working environment perfect for shipping and receiving office modules. An inplant office for shipping and receiving isolates operation areas from outside distraction and truck noise, while protecting employees and products from truck fumes and other outside factors, such as, temperature and inclement weather. Starrco's pre-fabricated offices are made of quality wall construction ideal for sealing off sound and environmental intrusion. These modular offices are typically constructed with large windows for monitoring personnel and access to docks providing a secure area as an entry point.
The advantage to portable facilities and in-plant modular offices are numerous. Usually, from start to finish, a custom built, pre-engineered office module is ready for operation in approximately 25% of the time it takes to complete conventional construction. Normally, the licensing, permitting and approval process of permanent construction is a time consuming process. Modular wall systems used for shipping and receiving offices, provide more value for your purchasing dollar. And, obviously, modular construction is flexible, allowing expansion and relocation to fit your needs as your business grows.

If you are interested in learning more about Starrco modular offices you can visit them at Starrco Modular Offices. You can also receive more information from our Modular Office Pages.

Thanks again Bryan and crew for the hospitality. We are looking forward to a great year!

The Marines Receive Bush and Obama

There has been a video circulating for quite awhile now comparing a visit from President Bush to a visit from Obama to the United States Marine Corps. There is a good chance you have already seen it but if not I have a like to the video at the bottom of this entry.

I love this video for many reasons. First because I greatly admire President Bush, he reminds me a lot of my pastor. There really are no airs about him. He is who he is and makes no apology. A man with a great deal of power and influence who isn't afraid to speak his mind and his beliefs in front of a crowd and just be himself. President Bush could wear jeans and a flannel shirt to give a speech and it was great.

Now you can say what you want about staging and performance art in public speeches but I believe our armed forces as a general rule also loved President Bush. It fills me with great pride to see our service men and women whoop it up when our President came to talk to them. They were really filled with joy and I don't think that can easily be faked across a few thousand Marines. That's the second thing I love about the video.

The third thing I love is the stark contrast between the two men. President Bush is an important man doing everything in his power to play it off and be "everyman". Obama on the other hand was doing everything in his power to appear powerful. My mother always said "You don't need to toot your own horn; if you are good enough others will do it for you." I always feel Obama is tooting his own horn, don't you? President Bush, no matter what the criticism, was himself, a God fearing conservative American from Texas. He didn't change with the weather or the crowd.

Of course I also love the CNN reporters comments at the end of the video...priceless.

Here is the link to the video on the American Warehouse Systems You Tube Channel.

As always thank you for reading my blog. For more information on me and my company, feel free to visit us at American Warehouse Systems.

Grant Money Available for Material Handling Equipment

When American Warehouse Systems began the campaign to promote Safety Grant Money available through MN Workplace Safety Council, the acceptance of the program was slow, followed by a rapid series of improvement stories. One such story comes from Central Container Company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The production line at Central Container had issues with scrap materials accumulating on the floor and creating a hazard. In order to remove the hazard Central Container employees had to take extra time to move the materials off the floor to a nearby dumpster.
With the assistance of seasoned sales representative Paul Brandes from American Warehouse Systems, the solution came in the form of powered conveyor designed to continually remove the scraps. Scraps are now moved from the floor via the conveyor, deposited into the dumpster and then recycled. The price tag of this conveyor system was cut in half using the safety grant program. A representative from Central Container Company expressed how easy it was to receive the funds. Central Container Company simply joined the program, completed the necessary paperwork to the MN Workplace Safety Council and submitted a paid invoice ensuring the project was complete.
In tough economic times like today, programs like this allow extreme discounts to companies focused on safety. For more information on how your company can participate in the program email us at info@aw-systems.com or visit us at http://www.aw-systems.com/.

Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association Convention

Tomorrow I will be heading to Marco Island FL for the 2010 Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Convention. As some of you may know I am on the Board of Directors for MHEDA and quite involved in association functions especially educational workshops, seminars and webinars. I am honored to be on MHEDA's Education Committee helping to plan our educational calendar every year. This year's convention looks to be a great educational opportunity for all attendees.

Every year I speak with members about the convention and if they will be attending. I receive quite a varied response. The member companies that have attended in the past usually always attend in one form or another. The economy is usually the barometer for the number of people from each company attending. New members aren't quite sure what they will get out of it but when explained quickly see the value.

The one response I get that always disturbs me is, "That's just a vacation for the dealer principal. We aren't allowed to go." I think maybe a half century ago that might have been closer to the truth but today it is different. Today the MHEDA convention is not just a golf vacation on the company. It's a concentrated networking and educational function that just happens to be in nice places (let's face it, who would go if it was in Minneapolis?).

We have many educational programs lined up that are geared toward sales, marketing, accounting, operations etc. The convention also provides a venue where you can network face to face with your industry peers. In many cases they have the same issues you do and may have found a solution to some of them.

I'm excited to get to the seminars and help my company move forward. In addition to economic forecasting and sales seminars I intend to sit in on the Strategic Planning seminar and the Profitability Improvement seminar.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there is a little fun to be had in Marco Island FL. MHEDA offers several recreational opportunities as well such as golf, sailing and shelling. The opening and closing parties are also very well planned out and always a blast.

My point is; the focus of the convention has evolved over the last 59 years. Our views of the convention should evolve also. The MHEDA convention is a valuable educational and networking function for all areas of your company not just the top level.

If for some reason you aren't attending you can follow the action on Twitter @markjuelich or by searching the hashtag #MHEDA. Perhaps I'll do a blog or two.

For more information on MHEDA check out the website at MHEDA. For more on me, go to American Warehouse Systems.

WireCrafters Wire Partitions - Protecting Product and Personnel

For over 35 years, WireCrafters has manufactured what we feel is the “Very Best Woven Wire Partition.” Contrary to traditional systems, the Style 840 is based on the simple idea that panels stack one on top of the other between tubular posts to reach the finished partition height. This all welded, modular, stackable system has benefits unequaled in the industry. American Warehouse Systems brings you a full line of wire partition products. These products are very common in many warehouses and are used as tool cribs, secured inventory cages, machine guarding and platform handrail.
Tool Cribs or Rack Enclosures are the easiest way to protect your inventory. These can be configured in any size or height from twenty standard size panels for a perfect fit in your warehouse. A full line of hinged and sliding gates are available for pedestrian or forklift traffic. Customers can custom design these partitions by adding slide-up service windows with counters, enclosing the area with a ceiling or even special locking devices.
What if your inventory is stored in pallet racking? Rack Enclosures may be your answer. The Rack Enclosure panels are simple to integrate with your current way of storing your materials. By adding panels and gates to one or several bays of pallet racking, an employer can lock in inventory or lock out unwanted personnel. These same panels can be configured on the pedestrian side of the racking allowing protection to your employees from pallets or boxes being pushed though the back side of the rack.
We can also offer assistance with Machine Guarding, Platform Handrail or Pedestrian Guardrails. Each of these items is a great addition to any safety program. Check with your insurance company or local government agency for discounts.
For more information please visit our WireCrafters Page.

Technology and the American War Machine.

The above video is aptly named, "The Last Campfire". It illustrates how the American Warfighter has evolved to embrace new technologies. The engagement in the video is vastly different than how it would have played out in our "fathers' wars". It certainly makes one wonder what the future of warfare will look like.