Pepperl+Fuchs opens new distribution centre in Texas

Pepperl+Fuchs recently celebrated the grand opening of its new United States Distribution Center (UDC) located in Katy, Texas.

A $25-million-plus investment that spans an area of 110,000 square feet, the state-of-the-art distribution centre serves as the central warehouse from which Pepperl+Fuchs distributes more than 10,000 products worldwide. The location for the new facility was chosen due to its proximity to the oil and gas industry.

The centre is both warehouse and manufacturing plant, housing an expanded Solution Engineering Center (SEC), a customer training area and distribution facilities. The centre showcases more than 1,000 Pepperl+Fuchs sensors.

Specialized warehouse management software allows supervisors to keep a close eye on important operational data along the line. The IoT-enabled warehouse allows Pepperl+Fuchs to increase its efficiency and cost-effectiveness while providing customers with shorter delivery times.

The UDC’s high-tech manufacturing plant is the production hub for Pepperl+Fuchs’ purge and HMI product lines. The SEC is staffed by a team of professionals who design, build and certify customized solutions on-site for process automation in hazardous locations, such as oil refineries, pharmaceutical plants and other facilities. Rather than taking months to separately engineer, manufacture and certify solutions, the SEC builds and certifies industry-leading solutions in a matter of weeks. For many locations, shipping is guaranteed within 48 hours.

The UDC was scheduled for completion in the summer of 2017, but suffered extensive damage from a tornado caused by Hurricane Harvey. The storm’s impact required a massive rebuilding effort. Today, two years after the storm’s devastation, the UDC is fully functional.

The UDC and SEC in Katy is one of six throughout the world, with others located in England, Germany, China, Australia and Italy. A grand opening celebration for the new UDC took place at the facility in Katy, Texas on October 15, 2019 and included a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house.