Confidence, Credibility and Cooperation

Top Drug Chains Choose Firm for Their Distribution Centers
What do the top drug chains have in common, double-digit market growth! Expansion within the drug retail industry has been strong. Giants like Walgreens and CVS have both seen sales increases exceeding 10% over 2003; fueling their need to expand their logistics capabilities.

Their assessment of Morrison Company’s capabilities can best be described with words like confidence, credibility and cooperation. Another drug chain, Discount Drug Mart, agrees and rewarded Morrison Company with a project outfitting their distribution center.

When you think of the pharmaceutical industry the word that describes it well is regulation. Government agencies like the FDA have certainly made their mark on this high-profile industry. Because of regulatory pressures the decision of who to partner with is not taken lightly. For drug retailer giants like Walgreens and CVS their decision was based on three words.

Confidence. Their selection was based in part on its assessment of Morrison Company’s competent project execution team. Beginning with the sales team their listening skills has been honed by years of focusing on client needs. The design engineering team, including a licensed PE, has demonstrated over and again their ability to work well with supply chain consultants, outside engineering firms, general contractors and of course the client.

Credibility. When deploying any project, the details surrounding the ordering, scheduling and installation of thousands of material handling components can be daunting. Like an orchestra conductor, Morrison Company’s project management expertise has mastered the art and science of ensuring projects go smoothly. Clients over the past 75 years have appreciated the reduced stress in their lives.

Cooperation. No matter how technical the world, ultimately things get accomplished because people relate to people. The best part of working with Morrison Company is its people. Never has an organization been so focused on servicing client’s needs, as does Morrison Company. Everyone who interacts with a project almost instinctively knows how their role integrates with others on the project.

Like a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream everyone should experience the sensation of being involved in a Morrison Company project. Whether you are a drug retailer or not contact Morrison Company for a material handling assessment and also bring your spoon!

You Do That?

Conveyor Systems Automate Your Every Move
Is a conveyor system the right solution for every business that moves products? Whether your business is manufacturing or distribution, whether moving cartons or components on an assembly line, conveyors keep your world moving. No matter if your supply chain stretches across your plant or around the world, the right conveyor system can deliver significant improvement in time and cost.

If you need a conveyor system, how do you know what kind of system is right for your application? Does experience matter, you bet! Morrison Company’s projects include some of the world’s most sophisticated high-profile distribution centers and warehouses for retail, mail order, apparel and pharmaceuticals.

Two premier company’s, FKI Buschman and Jervis B. Webb, conveyors are the ideal solution for moving product. Buschman’s standard roller conveyors are pre-engineered in three popular sizes for light, medium and heavy loads. When your material handling system requires transportation for heavier loads the roller-bed belt conveyor supplies the energy-saving solution.

Jervis B. Webb conveyors are ideal for many manufacturing applications. Their UnIbeam conveyor solution is ideal when moving heavy components using their I-beam conveyor track with rivet less chain. Powered by a caterpillar drive system the trolley can safely carry loads up to 400 pounds.

Power and Free conveyors allow the system to interface smoothly with automatic workstations, loading and unloading equipment, and a variety of production robots for loads up to 8,000 pounds. A carrier identification system, including electro-mechanical radio frequency (RF) and optical readers, are available to allow tracking of every carrier in the system.

Whether working with a supply chain consultant or solely implementing a conveyor project, contact Morrison Company for an assessment of your conveyor system needs.

Test Your Knowledge

Have You Taken Time to Really Thank Your Customers for Their Business?
You may be surprised to learn that less than 25% of companies are intentional about saying “thank you!”

We’ve all been taught to be polite to say thank you when people go out of their way on our behalf. So why is it that so many companies have not transferred this desirable characteristic to their marketing plans?

Your customers have trusted you. They’ve chosen to spend their hard earned money with your firm. For a thank-you to truly resonate, consider the following:

• It must be relevant and specific


• It must be noticeable


• It must be sincere

When prospects buy from your firm, they essentially are saying, “I’m going to take a risk and spend money with your organization. I trust you will deliver on your promise.” New customers in particular should be recognized and genuinely thanked. This practice will breed goodwill and loyalty. Want proof that this makes good business sense? In a recent study, however, almost 80% of businesses indicated they would be more loyal to a firm that they feel knew their needs and appreciated the business!

That fact should change your view on whether the practice of saying “thank you” is more than a nice gesture. Retaining loyal customers costs less than finding new ones. Let’s look at some ideas that can and do create a spirit of goodwill with business clients:

• Upon Ordering. The first contact you have with customers should be a pleasant experience for them. Customers should be tracked as to how they heard about your firm. Based on their “source code” recognize them with a unique message noting that you appreciate their trust and will strive to make their experience meaningful and relevant.


• Personalized Note or Follow-up Call. A big risk deserves a big thank you. This is a technique that can and should be used for your best customers as well.

Would you like to have 18 ways to say thank you and generate more loyal customers? Request your own copy of “Building Loyal Customers" by selecting Saying Thank You.

Looking for Profit in All the Wrong Places?

Why Manufacturers Are Turning to 3PL’s.
I’ve met folks like you! Even though almost all of your colleagues are rushing to a new way of saving time and money you have determined to stay the course. Just in the last two years almost 83% of manufacturing companies have turned to an outsourced solution that has improved their supply chain performance, reduced costs and improved their stress levels.

With this overwhelming exodus has this trend caught the attention of leading strategists? Business schools like Northwestern University have now studied the core reason for this business trend and have concluded that 3PL’s are here to stay.

You don’t need a MBA to understand that if you can focus on what you do well and delegate tasks to someone thereby utilizing his or her strengths, more will get accomplished and probably be better. Applying this axiom to the tasks of moving goods is what third party logistics companies (3PL) excel at.

Simply it is all about focus. 3PL’s sole focus is making logistics operations as efficient and cost effective as possible. A leading thinker and advocate for 3PL’s describes logistics as the “time-place utility,” which is another way of saying logistics’ job is to make sure that the right thing’s in the right place at the same time.

What makes 3PL’s work is their mastery of IT, human resources, storage and retrieval systems, and related processes including transportation and tracking. In a recent study published by Northwestern University, 77% of manufacturing executives indicated that the decision to use a 3PL had a positive or very positive impact on logistics costs.

Is working with a 3PL right for you? Are you a 3PL and want ideas on how to more efficiently layout your distribution center? Morrison Company has access to the top 3PL’s and is the leader in engineered material handling systems. Put Morrison Company to the test!

Auto Dealers Stack Up to Profit

Why Dealerships Are Turning to Mezzanines to Increase Storage Capacity
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association there are 19,700 dealerships in the United States. Add in other related, “vehicle dealerships like motorcycle, watercraft and finally all terrain vehicle dealers and the number swells to nearly 25,000. Parts and service departments have become one the remaining areas within a dealership that continues to drive high profit sales. Given most dealerships’ limitations to expand their parts departments, a new application of a standard material handling solution is catching hold.

Outside of placing rows of shelving closer together, the options available to most dealerships to increase capacity for their highly profitable parts departments are few. Certainly expanding into a new space is one alternative, however another option is to go up.

A mezzanine is a structure built within a room that allows for multiple work levels. The number of potential work platforms depends, for the most part, on the height of your space. Some mezzanines can be designed with lifts allowing for easy movement of product from one level to another.

Each level contains structural steel to support the platform, safety railing, and stairs. Shelving units and cabinets are usually used to complete the material handling solution. In larger facilities, support uprights and beams are used to hold pallet rack and or carton flow pick modules, even conveyor systems.

Your solution is designed based on your unique set of needs. Morrison Company has worked with several automobile dealerships, general contractors and logistics consultants to design and install mezzanine-decked solutions.

The sky (ceiling height) is the limit! Consider a mezzanine work platform as a simple way to increase capacity!

Things a Bit Shaky Where You Are?

Don’t Let Seismic Tremors Leave You Nervous.
Do you know what seismic zone your facility is in? Do you know how to ensure your facility is in compliance with the Uniform Building Code (UBC)? Your ability to answer these questions can impact your decision to build or expand a manufacturing or distribution facility.

Costs mount up when contemplating a large-scale building project. Planning for hidden costs is nobody’s idea of prudence; however not considering an issue like seismic engineering could derail a project. See how easy it is to rely on an experienced seismic engineering company to keep your project on schedule and on budget.

The Uniform Building Code (UBC) states that no building or structure regulated by this code shall be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished unless separate permits for each building or structure have first been obtained.

A seismic engineering company specializing in the structural analysis of all material handling equipment will also offer services including the submittal of plans to cities for permit approval. A reputable seismic engineering company has provided this service for many years and has developed a good reputation and relationship with many city officials, which may help to speed up the permitting process; a familiar name and little or no history of problems may give an official the final push he needs to sign off a permit.

Another benefit of our frequent dealings with cities is being able to gain the "inside scoop" on the different cities and the way they function. A competent seismic engineering company is familiar with what each individual city requires, looks closely at, overlooks, and what their average turnaround time is. Also, which plan checkers are more likely to sign a permit over the counter while you wait, which ones are most likely to send back corrections, and which cities employ the services of outside consultants for their review.

Morrison Company’s relationships with leading seismic engineering firms will assist you by supplying:

• Structural calculations


• Component detail drawings

Morrison Company, on your behalf, will be responsible for supplying:

• All fees required by the city


• A detailed site plan/plot plan


• Total valuation of the project


• Contractor/installer information


• Layout drawings


• A commodities letter (UFC-Article 81) including what product is being stored? How is it being stored? Is it encapsulated? What is its classification?

For more information about what seismic zone your facility is located, or to receive a white paper on Seismic Engineering contact Morrison Company.