Bluegrass Supply Chain Deploys Locus Autonomous Mobile Robots

Bluegrass Supply Chain has partnered with Locus Robotics to deploy advanced automation technology.

The third-party/contract logistics provider is now using Locus Robotics’ autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in its warehousing and distribution operations, Bluegrass Supply Chain said in a Monday (July 3) press release.

“We always prioritize the ROI [return on investment] for our customers and our company,” Bluegrass Supply Chain Chief Operating Officer Raquel Summers said in the release. “By adding our Locus Robots, we have significantly reduced the time it takes to train our team members, increased the pace of production, improved the quality of part identification and strengthened our safety procedures.”

With the robots it has deployed, Bluegrass Supply chain has saved time, minimized touchpoints and optimized travel, according to the press release.

This deployment is part of the company’s collaboration with Locus Robotics to use advanced automation technology to enhance operational efficiency, optimize order fulfillment and elevate the customer experience, the release said.

“By embracing and setting future goals for automation at Bluegrass, we are making it possible to provide faster, safer and more reliable services to our valued customers,” Bluegrass Supply Chain CEO John Higgins said in the release.

Retailers of all sizes are working to make better use of the inventory management tools they have on hand, PYMNTS reported in October 2022.

For example, Walmart said in October that it was acquiring Alert Innovation, a robotics automation company that develops automated technology for Walmart’s market fulfillment centers using bot technology to help store, retrieve and dispense orders.

Companies embraced robotics at a record rate last year, with North American companies ordering a little more than 44,100 robots — 11% more than they ordered in 2021, Reuters reported Feb. 11, citing data from industry group the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

The warehouse automation revolution has been driven by the labor shortage and the growth of eCommerce in an unpredictable manner, Exotec CEO Romain Moulin told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an interview posted in February 2022.

“New warehouses are created every day,” Moulin said at the time. “They start manual, and then they grow. At some point, they need to switch from manual to automation. You can imagine the overall size of the market, and it’s growing very fast at 15% per year.”

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