TUG WMS NETWORK | SITE VISIT

2026 Warehouse Operations Tour


The Future of Distribution —

Inside First Supply's DC1


In early October, 2026, TUG WMS Network members met 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.



Watch this space for next year's Navigation Tour.

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

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.


What They Experienced


  • 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.


  • Infor Hosted Networking Dinner — the perfect opportunity to connect, debrief, and celebrate a great day together.


  • WMS Network Breakfast — Join us the morning after the tour at the host hotel for a relaxed recap, open Q&A, and a chance to keep the conversation going over breakfast.

Sponsored in part by:

A red square with the word infor in white letters.
A red square with the word infor in white letters.
A red square with the word infor in white letters.
A red square with the word infor in white letters.
Exotect logo all teal with capital letters
A red square with the word infor in white letters.

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 breakfast meeting at hotel


Afternoon departures