Two wholesalers report what Exotec Skypod robots changed for them

Two wholesalers report what Exotec Skypod robots changed for them

6 October 2026: Two wholesalers on opposite sides of the world have reported results from Exotec's Skypod warehouse robots. In Wisconsin, First Supply says the system lets it guarantee next-morning delivery on orders placed by 5:00 PM, and in Japan TRUSCO NAKAYAMA has started full-scale operation at the biggest of its 29 distribution centres.

First Supply: a year of next-morning delivery

First Supply supplies HVAC, plumbing, lighting, waterworks and industrial products from 54 locations in the Upper Midwest. It was founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1897 and is a fifth-generation family-owned company and the largest Wisconsin-based wholesaler.

The new distribution centre has run for just over a year. Exotec says the Skypod system grew storage capacity fourfold without a larger racking footprint, while 30% of capacity is held back for future hardware. Picking is about ten times faster than manual picking, and the system handles more than 14,000 SKUs. Operators travel less, which Exotec says raises productivity.

Overnight replenishment supported by Skypod lets First Supply meet next-day order demand, which can reach 20% of the centre's daily volume. After flash flooding in southeastern Wisconsin the previous summer, the company delivered needed products to hundreds of affected customers.

Steve Baer, First Supply's Chief Logistics Officer, said, "The system is productive, efficient, and will enable the facility to grow with minimal disruption over time."

PLANET AICHI: numbers from Japan

TRUSCO NAKAYAMA, IHI Logistics & Machinery and Exotec announced full-scale operation of Skypod at PLANET AICHI on 4 August 2026. The centre opened on 18 May 2026, has about 89,162 square metres of floor space, and supports the Chubu manufacturing region as a nationwide shipping hub. It was built for more than a million items and annual shipments of roughly JPY 100 billion.

The Skypod installation has 31,975 bins, 37 robots and four stations. It picks pro-tools, consumables, storage supplies and safety equipment. Stock is about 630,000 items now, with a target of more than a million by 2030.

Why TRUSCO chose it

Before the system, workers walked the floor to pick items; now products come to the worker, which reduces physical strain and search time. The company cited the absence of fixed infrastructure such as conveyors or cranes, and the ability to scale with volume, as key reasons for choosing Skypod. The stated drivers were growth in product variety and online orders, plus labour shortages across the industry.

IHI Logistics & Machinery, a supplier of logistics and factory automation equipment, provides flow-line design, warehouse management and execution systems, simulation and lifecycle support, including maintenance. TRUSCO's guiding philosophy is that "immediate delivery is the ultimate service."

The vendor

Exotec says it designs and manufactures its own technology and serves more than 75 brands across more than 200 sites worldwide. The First Supply announcement was datelined Atlanta and the TRUSCO announcement Tokyo.

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Sources

• Exotec: First Supply leverages Exotec's robotic solution to guarantee next-morning delivery on orders placed by 5:00 PM, 6 October 2026
• Exotec: TRUSCO NAKAYAMA begins full-scale operations of Exotec's Skypod system at new distribution center PLANET AICHI, 4 August 2026