The Mansfield-headquartered group has become one of the first third-party logistics providers to invest in AutoStore technology, which is typically used by large retailers and e-commerce businesses.
The system was installed by specialist supplier Element Logic. AutoStore is modular and requires far less space than traditional pick and pack warehousing, while its Red Line robots are independently controlled, and will automatically store and retrieve items without human intervention.
Linney executive director Charles Linney said the multimillion pound investment had been transformative, and had helped the group win new business.
He told Printweek: “We are always trying to find ways of automating what we do. I saw this at a robotics trade show and thought ‘we can use this – this is exciting’.”
The automated fulfilment centre building is 9,300sqm and 12 metres high.
“Most people can’t pick above six foot. What we’ve now got is 15 totes stacked on top of each other, with no gaps, and no aisles. It’s incredibly dense.
“We also put a mezzanine on top of ours, so we didn’t lose any fulfilment space. So it was really the best of both worlds. We gained three times as much space as the picking was taking beforehand,” Linney explained.
The automated system can run 24/7 and has resulted in many benefits for Linney and its clients.
It support the distribution ambitions of brands by fulfilling orders quickly and accurately, and also forms part of Linney’s ESG goals by using less energy than the previously manual process, the firm said.
With demand for next- and same-day delivery increasing, the setup means Linney can quickly fulfil direct-to-consumer orders, as well as distribute stock to retailers and other business-to-business customers.
Replacing repetitive manual tasks with automated processes has also allowed the group to upskill its teams, and add more added-value services for clients.
“I’m really proud of what the guys have put together. The combination of AutoStore with the Genesys, which will box 800 packages an hour all to exactly the right size – you could sit and watch it all day! Having it all in one place is just so powerful,” Linney added.
Further expansion at the group’s 40-acre supersite is also underway, with the construction of a new multipurpose building that will house its display business, including the world’s first Fujifilm-Barberán HS Series single-pass inkjet press, which is set to be installed next year.
Linney posted sales up just over 10% at £128.2m in its most recent financial year, to 28 April, and employed 1,234 people.
Its range of connected marketing services spans digital marketing, film, creative, print, packaging, display, e-commerce and fulfilment.
Clients include the Royal British Legion, Mind, Cineworld, John Frieda and numerous well-known brands and retailers.
