We love seeing first-hand how tool manufacturers do things. One of the key functions of any manufacturer is distribution. While their Buford manufacturing and assembly plant might have been more tool-tastic, a visit to the Makita Dallas distribution center was also appealing. Just how do you manage and ship tens of thousands of power tools and accessories across the United States? Simpleโฆwell, at least they make itย lookย simple.
Warehouse Space, the Final Frontier
I know we said Dallas, but the new Makita distribution facility is actually located in the City of Wilmerโjust outside of Dallas, Texas. This Dallas facility is actuallyย Makitaโsย fourth U.S.-based distribution center. Other Makita properties exist in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and Buford, Georgia, as well as Makita USAโs home office in La Mirada, California. It spans approximately 25 acres and features 220,000 square feet of space, with the potential to expand to 300,000 square feet due to additional available land.
Makita currentlyย houses and moves overย 7,500 pallets with the capacity to handle 16,500. Even with this expansive area, just 33 people man the entire facility over a single daytime shift. Thatโs not to say they canโt adapt as needed, but the operation seems to be a fairly smooth and consistent operation for most of the year.
At the start of the tour, we saw lots and lots of boxes of tools. Most were sitting in organized rows of stacked pallets. Some were teal, some black and white, and othersโฆwell, not teal. Over time, Makita is transitioning its entire packaging line to include its signature teal branding color.
Classroom Training and Education
Randy Caillier, VP of Training, showed us a 4,000-square-foot spaceย dedicated to application-based training for contractors, solutions-based training for distributors, and even some helpful sessions for store and shop owners.ย This isย Makitaโs third American hands-on training center. Makita also uses their training centers for increasing salesย andย marketing staff knowledgeย as well as instructionย inย customer care.
The Makita Dallas Distribution Center training room seemed well-equipped for many tasks. You canย engage inย competitive testing, cold-cut steel, orย experience any number ofย tools or accessories from Makita. Understanding howย products canย promote efficiency and job site safety is also high on the list. As new OSHA proposed crystalline silicaย rules go into effect, this will only become a more important part of any tool manufacturerโs operation.
Picking, Packing, and Shipping
In another area, Makita takes an order, picks it, packs it, and sends it down the appropriate โspiralโ so the order can be completed.
And the picking? There are over 51,000 places for picking products in the two-story Makita mezzanine.
Next, we saw their bulk storage and replenishment area, which houses all of their overflow products. Thereโs even a lounge for taking care of their truckers.
There are 1,532 pallet spots designated explicitly for storing products ready for shipping and replenishment.
Makita hopes to expand the facility over the next several years to maximize the property, the surrounding space, and the potential it offers.
Makita Dallas Distribution Center Opening Ceremony
We got to be a part of the Makita Distribution and Training Center celebratory opening ceremony and open house. Tons ofย dealers and local contractors were present. Even the mayor of Wilmer graced us with his presenceโฆfor about 15 seconds. Seriously, Makita just opened up this multi-million dollar facility in his city, and weโre not even sure if he knew why he was there. Shortly after, Makita had itsย ceremonial ribbon cutting, and everyone got toย participate inย hands-on tool demos. Lots of fun.ย Check out our coverage of the Makita Media Event in Dallas for the lowdown on all the new tools we saw at the event.
