Gordon Food Service Selects Viastore Systems To Provide The Automated Inbound Material Handling System For Its New Distribution Center In Shepherdsville, Kentucky

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, 30 August, 2004 --- Viastore systems, a leading automated material handling and supply chain execution software solutions provider, announced today that it has been selected by Gordon Food Service, North America’s largest family-owned and managed broadline foodservice distributor, to provide the automated inbound material handling system for their new Shepherdsville, Kentucky Distribution Center.  Viastore systems will manufacture and integrate nine (9) viapal Storage/Retrieval (S/R) machines to handle grocery, frozen and perishable food products.

The nine (9) viapal S/R machines will have access to over 50,000 pallets of product from the three (3) separate storage (i.e. grocery, freezer, cooler) areas, including pallets staged for picking, with each pallet weighing up to 2,500 lb.  In addition, viastore will provide the inbound unit-load pallet handling horizontal transportation system including three (3) high-speed shuttle cars through a partnership with Gebhardt Conveyor Company.  The S/R machines and horizontal transportation system will communicate through a viad@t Material Flow Control (MFC) software package.

This new fully automated distribution center is a 300,000 square foot facility located off State Road 480, East of Interstate 65 in Bullitt County, Kentucky.  Construction began in early 2004 with a projected start-up in 2006.  The distribution center will be equipped with the most advanced warehousing and distribution equipment available from some of the world’s leading manufacturers.

Commenting on the new distribution center, GFS Warehouse Development Manager Kirk Mortenson said, “During our selection process, we were very impressed with viastore’s professionalism and thoroughness.  We continue to be pleased with viastore’s willingness to work with us, and their dedication to putting together a quality solution.  We are looking forward confidently to a successful project.”

For viastore, having the right product solution for Gordon Food Service was only part of the story.  “In addition to spending many months working back and forth and finally developing quite a unique solution, one of our greatest strengths is our ability to partner with our clients to ensure shared success,” said Juergen Conrad, viastore president and CEO.  “When companies like GFS embrace the value of a mutual partnership and how it can help them achieve their business goals, it makes for a successful and rewarding partnership.  We are extremely pleased and honored to have been selected by Gordon Food Service for this project and look forward to partnering with them on other projects in the future.”

Gordon Food Service --- founded in 1897, is North America’s largest family-owned and managed broadline foodservice distributor.  Gordon Food Service is a multi-billion-dollar international corporation offering more than 15,000 GFS and nationally branded, specialty and exclusive products to over 30,000 customers in 10 states within the United States and throughout Canada.  The company also operates over 100 GFS Marketplace retail stores.  For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gfs.com.

viastore systems --- viastore systems provides “Warehousing Efficiency Through Automation” and is a leading global supplier of Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (AS/RS).  North American clients include Continental Teves NA, DaimlerChrysler, L’Oreal USA, Ford Motor Corporation, Frito Lay Corporation, Robert Bosch Corporation and Wilsonart International.  The company has developed and manufactured all types of Storage/Retrieval (S/R) machines as one of its primary product lines since 1970.  Today, viastore is an international corporation with an assembly plant in Germany and branches and subsidiaries in Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, Israel and Malaysia.  A leading global supplier of Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems and supply chain execution products, the company has sales offices in 17 countries, and has implemented systems in more than 20 countries worldwide.

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