KTI LTD is responding to the warehouse space shortage by adding multiple locations

KTI is currently expanding with nine possible warehouse locations throughout the south and as far west as Texas. Repurposing many of these buildings will provide cost-effective storage to its customers.

The two newest locations, with a combined 280,000+ sq ft., are ready for leasing and located near the South Boston area of Virginia – centrally located to many industrial regions. These spaces could easily be converted into food-grade storage space.

KTI offers flexible storage solutions and asset-based transportation in hopes of helping young companies in these regions scale as needed, providing a competitive advantage in today’s tough market.

If you’re in the market for warehouse storage, whether long or short-term, please reach out to us. If we can’t help you, we will connect you with our warehouse network which spans across the United States. We want to be a partner in your growth.

See our list of services here: Services – KTI LTD or call 540-994-9899 for immediate help.

US Supply Chain Worsening Warehouse Shortage

The global supply chain is clogging US ports and pushing warehouses to capacity. Products are arriving at their final destination out of season which means they must be stored or sold at a significant discount. Panic buying is causing some seasonal items to be ordered extra early but now that product is sitting with last season’s products too.

The pandemic started a chain of events which now combined, are hindering the supply chain: labor shortages, e-commerce with more disposable income, and an infrastructure that can’t keep up.

The vacancy rate in cities like LA are at only 1% resulting in higher rents. Developers can’t build fast enough, especially with material being unavailable due to the shortages.

A study by CBRE states that for every $1 billion increase in online sales, an additional 1 million square feet of warehouse space is needed.

KTI LTD is a family-owned asset-based 3PL based in the southeast and is rapidly growing. Headquartered in Pulaski, VA, KTI offers flexible storage and asset-based transportation. Additional locations include Bluefield, VA and Greenwood, SC. Currently, KTI is preparing other locations to be leased near the ports and across Virginia and North Carolina to help with the challenges our customers are facing.

For more information on our services or to request a quote, please visit our website https://www.ktiltd.com/test or call 540-994-9899 for immediate assistance.

Source: US Supply Chain Issues Are Making Warehouse Shortage Worse – Bloomberg

How a Mezzanine and Vertical Lift Can Improve The Efficiency in Your Warehouse Space

The demand for warehouse space has hit record highs in 2021, driven by e-commerce and the reshoring of US manufacturing. Companies are mitigating risk after realizing long supply chains are more likely to experience disruptions and unpredictable costs. But with this demand comes a shortage. Companies may not want to invest their capital into real estate vs. core competencies. One option is to go up! Yes, get vertical. Think mezzanines and vertical lifts.

A mezzanine doesn’t extend over the whole floor space but can provide storage space, freeing up storage space below. A vertical reciprocating conveyor lift can be used to move the product to the other levels of the building. This prevents employees from spending time and effort on moving the product between levels themselves.

If your space isn’t organized and free flowing, it isn’t efficient.

Mezzanines are more affordable than expanding the warehouse. They are easily installed, offer flexibility for changing business needs.

Another option is to work with a 3PL who can provide overflow warehouse space during special projects or peak seasons. KTI Ltd offers flexible storage solutions for manufacturers of many types, including food production, automotive, consumer goods, and more. Our warehouse space is SQF-certified and we offer asset-based transportation as well as food-grade plastic processing. Request a quote here: https://www.ktiltd.com/test

Source: Maximizing Unused Vertical Space with a Vertical Lift and Mezzanine Is the Key to Better Productivity and Safety – Inbound Logistics

KTI Among Food Logistics Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers for 2021

Food Logistics, the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, has named KTI LTD to its 2021 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers list.

The Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers recognizes leading third-party logistics and cold storage providers in the cold food and beverage industry.

“3PLs and cold storage providers continue to be the heart and soul of the cold chain. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other supply chain disruptions, these companies continue to showcase agility, resiliency, strength and innovation,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief, Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “They’ve pivoted in a time of crisis, armed themselves with solutions that matter and protected people and product along the way.”

Recipients of this year’s award will be profiled in the August 2021 print issue. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com to view the full list of all 2021 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers.

About Food Logistics

Food Logistics is the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, risk management, food safety and more. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com.

9 Warehouse Management System Must-Haves

Warehouse management systems help organizations to digitally manage their inventory or the inventory of their customers. The pandemic illuminated the shortcomings due to the reliance on outdated or inadequate systems. Investing into a WMS is a great way to streamline the operations and be prepared for the next big disruption we all face.

In the September issue of Inbound Logisitcs, Gary Wollenhaupt discusses the 9 must-haves of any WMS:

1. Architecture – the system should support flexibility and scalability – along with seasonality.
2. Functionality – the system should optimize your day-to-day operations and provide a higher level of efficiency.
3. Ease of Use – New users or temporary staff should be able to be added on the fly to handle seasonal surges.
4. Integration – It should play well with others – ERP, TMS, OMS, etc.
5. Scalability – warehouse management systems should have the ability to grow with the company.
6. Labor and Management Planning – the system should have the ability to identify the best path for workers to find/pick. It may even offer industry guidelines for productivity.
7. Comfort level – The system should provide the functionality and comfort level your company requires.
8. Digitization – The warehouse management system can help digitize operations with electronic bill of ladings and signatures as well as support real-time business intelligence and analytics – which should be the 10th must-have on this list.
9. Future Technology – Labor savings can be huge if your WMS can help your company to adopt emerging technologies like automated pallet building or autonomous vehicles.

If you’re in the market for a Warehouse Management System, Inbound Logistics has created a 4-page WMS Guide 2021 in their September 2021 with detailed descriptions about the various warehouse management systems available. Another option is to work with a 3PL partner who has the technology in place to help streamline your operations. KTI LTD is a family-owned and operated 3PL in Pulaski, VA, founded in 1995. Started as a transportation company, KTI LTD is an asset-based 3PL with multiple locations offering SQF-Certified warehouse space, food-grade plastic processing, and transportation services.

Read more about our services here

Source: Inbound Logistics, September 2021 issue

3 ways to easily protect your supply chain

Your supply chain may be optimized but is it vulnerable?

“With the rapid adoption of cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), the supply chain has many new entry points and attack surfaces for cybercriminals to infiltrate. Implementing these best practices help manufacturers continue to innovate, create new products and services, and increase profitability, while maintaining a competitive edge.” – Bindu Sundaresan, Inbound Logistics

Here are 3 suggestions from the Inbound Logisitcs‘ article “Best Practices to Protect Supply Chains”

1. Establish collaboration and education across the organization – work with IT to discuss what makes the supply chain vulnerable and why security is important.
2. Implement Zero Trust Principles – IoT devices in manufacturing are an attractive entry point into the network.
3. Develop a shared responsibility model – In addition to your customers and employees understanding that their digital assets are targets for cyberattacks, your supply chain partners must be informed.

As a partner to many manufacturers, KTI has committed itself to creating a secure network and ensuring our customer’s supply chain is protected while still providing the visibility needed for optimization.

Looking for a trusted partner? Read more about our services here.

How an FTZ warehouse can help your supply chain and bottom line

Utilizing an FTZ can significantly reduce costs from customs duties, taxes and tariffs; improve global market competitiveness; and minimize bureaucratic regulations.¹

Some of the benefits include:

1. Deferral, reduction, or elimination of certain duties
2. Relief from inverted tariffs
3. Duty exemption on re-exports
4. Duty elimination on waste, scrap, and yield loss
5. Weekly entry savings
6. Improved compliance, inventory tracking, and quality control
7. Indefinite storage
8. Waived customs duties on zone-to-zone transfer

From large manufacturers to individuals, any size importer or exporter can take advantage of a foreign-trade zone (FTZ). However, many companies are unaware of the sizeable cost savings and other benefits they can achieve by taking advantage of an FTZ program.¹

Interested in working with an FTZ warehouse? Contact us today to discuss your organization’s needs.

1. Inbound Logistics

Improving Pallet Stability to Reduce Loss During Transport

The transportation of goods has dramatically increased due to consumer behavior. Product losses during transit are common with most retailers assuming some loss will occur with most shipments. The costs of these losses are incalculable. Reducing product damage in transport will save companies a substantial amount of money.

The key to reducing these losses is pallet load stability, the ability of the load to remain upright when subjected to the acceleration and braking during transport. Poorly stacked and/or improperly wrapped loads will shift during handling. In addition to product losses, these unstable loads can put wear and tear on equipment due to uneven weight distribution as well as become a safety hazard to employees.

The type of pallet used determines the weight limit. Wood stringer pallets have a maximum load capacity of approximately 2,500 lbs., wood block pallets 2,800 lbs., and plastic pallets can handle a 5,000-pound pallet load capacity.

The pattern used when stacking product will greatly determine the load stability. An interlocked pattern resembles a brick wall and columnar stacking is the stacking of cartons on top of one another in straight columns from the pallet deck to the top of the stack. A columnar pattern provides greater compressive strength for stacking in storage, but the interlocking pattern resists lateral motion better.

Research completed by students at California Polytechnic State University and published in the Journal of Applied Packing Research provide valuable insights in understanding a unit load’s response to shocks and shifts commonly experienced during distribution activities.

The researchers used Niagara Bottling’s best practice stack and pallet pattern specifications for their tests:

24 .5L PET water bottles, polyethylene shrink film, timber block pallet, stretch wrap with a  wrap pattern of 11 total revolutions, 2 additional top wraps. The stacking patterns tested used layer patterns “A” and “B”, 6 tiers, AABBAA and AAAABB. The tests includes a tilt test and an incline impact test.

In both tests, the AABBAA pattern was substantially more stable.

Package design can also impact pallet stability. According to Smithers, the top 5 areas to consider when designing packaging are:

Pallet utilization

Case perforations

Stretch wrap

Pallet pattern

KTI LTD is an asset-based, third-party logistics provider with multiple southeast locations. Some of our warehouse services include custom packaging, repackaging, shrink wrapping, and quality inspection. See a full list of our services here: https://www.ktiltd.com/test/warehouse-transportation-services/

Resources

Sing, Saha, Sewell, & Newton. Evaluation of Stability of Unit Loads for Tilt and
Shock Events During Distribution

Securing and Strengthening Your Supply Chain

The post-COVID supply chain is remarkably different from past years. Resiliency is now a key metric in designing a supply chain. Ninety-day inventory levels, automation, diversifying the supply base, leapfrogging, and positioning inventory closer to its final destination are a few of the strategies used to create a high-functioning yet resilient supply chain. Another strategy is the reliance on a 3PL provider.

A 3PL provider offers bundled services and technology solutions, adding value through visibility, flexibility, and customization for a strengthened supply chain. While cost-cutting is important, today’s supply chain needs expertise and strong relationships to survive. KTI LTD is a 3PL provider headquartered in Pulaski, VA, with multiple locations across the southeast and growing. Overflow and flexible warehouse storage, asset-based transportation, accurate inventory management and visibility through our WMS and TMS, cross-docking, ocean container unloading/loading/cross-dock, labeling, carrier scheduling, and order fulfillment are some of the services we provide.

See more here: https://www.ktiltd.com/test/warehouse-transportation-services

The Top 12 Distribution Center Metrics for the Modern Supply Chain

Metrics are critical to help you identify inefficiencies and address daily and peak challenges. The following are the top 12 Distribution Center metrics in the 2021 Warehousing Education and Research Council (http://www.werc.org) DC Measures:

1.Average warehouse capacity used (Best-in-class measure:  >= 92%)

2. Order picking accuracy

3. Peak warehouse capacity used

4. On-time shipments (Best-in-class measure: >=99.7%)

5. Percent of orders with on-time delivery

6. Shipped complete per customer order

7. Shipped damage free

8. Correct documentation

9. Dock-to-stock cycle time: (Best-in-class measure <2.144 hours)

10. On-time ready to ship

11. Percent of supplier orders received damage free*

11. Inventory count accuracy by location*

*indicates a tie

Source: http://www.yale.com