HarperCollins Publishers is expanding its North American network with a 1.6 million-square-foot automated supply chain logistics facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, according to an Aug. 21 press release. The hub aims to leverage technology that will optimize speed, efficiency and reliability to gain full visibility and control over the publisher’s supply chain.
The logistics facility will be eqipped with goods-to-person technology to help transport products to pickers, as well as various specialty packaging equipment to reduce carton and dunnage waste, a HarperCollins spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive in an email.
“We continue to work with numerous material handling suppliers to derive the best automation for our application,” the spokesperson said. “The facility will utilize leading WMS, LMS, and YMS technology."
Once operational, the facility will have the capacity to ship more than 300 million books annually. HarperCollins modeled it after insights found at a recently opened distribution warehouse in Glasgow, Scotland, according to the release.
HarperCollins began outsourcing its distribution and logistics services in 2010, which consolidated the number of warehouses it used from five to one, per the release. Once the Indiana facility is operational and the transition is complete, HarperCollins will no longer outsource the work to a third party, the spokesperson said.
The hub is set to open in 2028, with construction planned to start this year, the spokesperson said. A date has yet to be finalized. The facility is expected to create more than 400 supply chain logistics jobs, per the release.
