Big Benefits In Warehouse Automation

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

January 2015 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

BHFO moved to a warehouse more than double the size of the original to accommodate orders and turned to warehouse automation to increase pick speed and accuracy.

Jon and Stacie Sefton founded BHFO in 2003 by selling designer apparel on eBay, and they ran the business out of their basement. For the next 18 months, the Seftons would outsell their ability to run the operations from their home and, as a result, grew BHFO into three separate warehouse facilities, totaling 100,000 square feet. Today, BHFO, whose name includes the Sefton daughters’ initials and Factory Outlet, operates a 250,000-square-foot warehouse and employs more than 150 people in the Cedar Rapids, IA area. BHFO is an online retailer selling apparel, shoes, and accessories around the globe and is eBay’s leading apparel seller. Matt Wade, COO at BHFO, explains how the company’s automated storage and picking system helps the e-tailer ship more than 95 percent of its domestic orders within one day.