Major grocer makes further investment in automation

After two projects in the Toronto area, the companies are now eying the Province of Quebec and will start working on a site in the city of Terrebonne in the northern suburbs of Montreal. The 600,000 sq ft hi-tech distribution centre is scheduled to open in 2023.

Just like the other two buildings, this new warehouse will be part of Metro’s fresh and frozen food network initiative. Witron’s OPM System (Order Picking Machinery), is already operating in many temperature controlled warehouses around the world. It says, for this level of mechanisation – a fully automated warehouse including storage, picking, and palletising – it is unique to find a technology that works in sub-zero temperatures just as well as it does in an ambient environment.

The centrepiece of Witron’s automation is the COM (Case Order Machine) – a palletiser that builds mixed, very densely, and well-packed pallets. Building well-calculated pallets saves costs during transportation and optimises store operations as well – a true end-to-end supply chain solution. In the new Terrebonne facility, 12 COMs in the fresh zone and 9 COMs in the freezer will pick up to 285,000 cases every day. The entire system will handle approximately 6,800 SKUs in the freezer and a fresh zone.

Witron North America CEO, Karl Hoegen said: “It is truly remarkable that Metro has already put its trust into Witron’s technology for three times since late-2017. We appreciate the great relationship that our two companies have formed. We always look for more than just a client, we want to find real business partners and create a win-win relationship for many decades to come. Our market presence in Canada has grown tremendously over the past years and we are proud to open our first office in the Montreal area in 2020. This is another important milestone in the 25 years of business success we have experienced in North America.”

For more information, visit www.witron.com