TUG WMS NETWORK | SITE VISIT INVITATION
2026 Warehouse Operations Tour
See the Future of Distribution —
Inside First Supply's DC1
Join fellow TUG WMS Network members for an exclusive walkthrough of the Joe Poehling Distribution Innovation Center — a 308,000 sq ft showcase of goods-to-person robotics, guide-by-wire navigation, and Infor WMS in action.
October 13 & 14, 2026
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Space is limited. Register today to confirm your attendance.
DC1 at a Glance
308,000
square feet — the largest facility in First Supply's 129-year history
Up to 200,000
SKU locations across 50,000 bins supported by the Exotec robotic storage system
Up to 450
picks per hour with 3 picking stations operating
52
First Supply locations replenished from a single DC
5 PM
order cutoff for next-morning delivery to branch docks
What You'll Experience on the Tour
- Exotec goods-to-person robotics — autonomous robots that climb 40-foot racking to deliver bins straight to operator stations, built for 200,000 SKU locations and roughly 450 picks per hour.
- Jungheinrich Warehouse Navigation — guide-by-wire, hands-free aisle travel that lifts pickers to product height while in motion, boosting productivity, ergonomics, and safety.
- CubiScan dimensioning — automated capture of dimensions, weight, and product data that drives WMS slotting decisions across Exotec, racking, and bulk.
- Infor WMS + BlueRock TMS — the orchestration layer that replaced a 25-year-old legacy platform and sequences loads for next-morning branch delivery.
Why It Matters
First Supply retired its hub-and-spoke network in favor of a single centralized DC serving all 52 locations — with orders entered by 5 PM delivered to branch docks by the next morning. Hear firsthand from Michael O'Brien, VP of IT; David Church, IT Applications Manager; Steve Baer, Chief Logistics Officer; and Tyler Gotto, Director of Operations, how 15,000+ hours of planning brought one of the industry's most ambitious warehouse technology projects live — on schedule.
Sponsored in part by:
Agenda Overview
Monday
October 12
Arrive in La Crosse
Check in to the Stoney Creek Inn
Tuesday
October 13
8:30 am
Bus departure from hotel
9 am
Arrival at First Spply
Opening of the meeting
- Brief introductions by the First Supply team and Sponsors
- First Supply team presentation on the DC1 overall build/project process, and current stabilization/optimization projects
10:15 am
Break
10:30 am
DC1 tours
Noon
Lunch
1 pm
General Q&A after walking DC1; automation, WMS, integrations, implementation ...
1:30 pm
Presentations by our Trusted Partners
3 pm
Return to hotel
6 – 9 pm
Infor Hosted dinner in La Crosse
Wednesday
October 14
9 am - Noon
Wrap-up meeting at hotel
Afternoon departures
pricing INCLUDES
Hotel Room Stay
Standard hotel room for the nights of Monday, October 12th, and Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at the Stoney Creek Inn in La Cross-Onalaska, Wisconsin
Meals
Tuesday, October 13
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Wednesday, October 14
Breakfast
WMS Facility Tour
Private bus transportation and guided tour highlighting First Supply's DC1 Facility
