Bendix making big investment in automation at Huntington campus
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Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC is planning a major upgrade to its primary North American distribution center in Huntington.
The Avon, Ohio-based company says it will make a double-digit million-dollar investment to upgrade the facility into a state-of-the-art operation with automation technology, though a specific dollar figure was not provided.
Bendix manufactures and supplies active safety, air management, and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles throughout North America.
The company currently operates a four-building campus in Huntington totaling 855,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space.
At the Bendix Distribution Center on the campus, the company plans to implement automated storage and retrieval system technology, a warehouse control system, and automated conveyance.
The new technology will create a goods-to-person, or GTP, system, in which the automation will retrieve products and deliver them to employees at stations where they can be processed for shipment.
“Going to GTP will provide Bendix an advantage from a distribution technology standpoint, increasing productivity for the business and improving our delivery capacity to customers,” Randy Seaman, director of Bendix North American distribution, said in a news release. “Moving toward GTP is an industry trend. We will automate and streamline the entire process of material picking and preparing shipments to the customer.”
Bendix added that the transition will involve a reconfiguration that should create about 90,000 square feet of free space, which will be held in reserve for future expansion opportunities.
While no new jobs are being created with the project, Seaman said the company will be investing in the future of its employees in Huntington.
“We will engage in extensive training in the new technology for our engineering and maintenance staffs, as well as for hourly employees,” he said. “The new system will advance the skill level of our distribution team members.”
Implementation of the new system is slated for completion in mid-2025.
As part of the project, Bendix also plans to consolidate the manufacturing of its engine vibration dampers into a single location on the Huntington campus. That effort is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
“Through this strategic initiative, we can make the most of our production footprint,” said Eric Meehan, interim managing director of operations in Huntington. “The project will enable us to centralize the operation in a larger space. It will increase our efficiency and productivity, bringing out the best in our employees and, most importantly, benefiting our customers.”
Bendix’s Huntington operation was established in 1980 with 30 employees and has grown to more than 540 employees. The company’s customers include big names in the auto industry such as Cummins, Volvo and Caterpillar.