Warehouse Racking in Bloomington-Normal, IL

An electric-vehicle assembly plant in Normal anchors a ring of just-in-time supplier and logistics warehouses, some at 36 ft clear. Parts arrive in returnable containers and leave on a tight sequence. Selective rack gives pickers access to every part number, and pushback lanes hold the deep runs of high-volume components.

In a just-in-time building the dock schedule rules everything. We place fast-moving lanes nearest the doors and keep staging space clear so a late inbound truck does not back up the line.

Automotive suppliers ship parts in returnable totes and bins, and the empties come back. Those empties need a home that does not eat pick positions. We often set aside a few low-level bays or a floor lane near the docks just for returnables.

Container footprints vary by program. A bulk bin may be wider than a standard pallet, so beam lengths get set for the widest container you expect to store, not the most common one.

A supplier cannot stop feeding the line while rack goes in. We phase the install in blocks of rows, move inventory once, and keep the busiest aisles open during each shift. Winter storms on I-55 can delay a steel truck, so we hold a buffer day in every phase.

The North Normal buildings use 50x60 ft column spacing. That grid takes rack rows well when bays are planned around it, and badly when they are not. We set beam lengths so columns fall inside flue spaces or row ends, not in the middle of a pick face.

At 30-36 ft clear, forklift reach usually sets the limit before the roof does. A reach truck may get one more level than a sit-down truck. The layout shows both options so you can weigh the extra positions against the fleet you own.

A 250-acre multimodal business park is being developed just south of Central Illinois Regional Airport, next to the Norfolk Southern line, with state Megasites grant funding. A separate 279-acre Interchange City West site in northwest Normal also won Megasites money for water and road work.

The local economic development council has said the area has lacked available industrial buildings. When space is short, getting more pallets out of the building you already lease is often the faster move. If you do relocate, our warehouse relocation service handles teardown and reinstall.

Racking for Bloomington-Normal?

Call (217) 598-4023.