Distribution Property Solutions, Inc. (DPSI), a turnkey provider of unique high-density storage systems based in Irvine, Calif., formed an agreement with Storage Management Systems (SMS) of South Africa to expand manufacturing operations of its Pallet Shuttle System to the United States.

Pallet Shuttle is an automated deep lane pallet storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) that increases warehouse storage capacity, reduces forklift travel and enhances labor utilization.

“The recent decision to manufacture in the U.S. is motivated by an improving American business climate, low energy costs and a growing technical labor force,” says Steve Cappella, president of DPSI. “Warehouse automation is reaching a tipping point in the U.S., as manual labor continues to increase costs and safety concerns in bulk storage operations. Our ongoing goal is to create jobs in manufacturing, construction, warehousing robotics and long-term maintenance. These projects will create inner-city construction activity, long-term distribution jobs and robotics training that will help blue collar workers transition from manual labor to robotics and automation."

“We are excited about our partnership with DPSI and the ability to expand manufacturing of automated systems to the USA,” adds Theuns Pretorius, owner of SMS. “This move will enhance logistics, improve technical support and reduce lead times for Pallet Shuttle projects in North America.”