Walmart’s import and cross-dock facility in Mobile, Alabama serves as a logistical hub for several southeast regional distribution centers, with an anticipated 600 trailers turned every day. The facility is Walmart’s sixth import distribution center in the nation and, at just under 2.6 million square feet and 2,200 trailer staging spaces, it is one of the largest. The building is nearly three-quarters of a mile long, covers nearly 60 acres, and includes over 40 miles of racking.
The building was designed to meet Factory Mutual design requirements, including a maximum foreseeable loss wall, as well as the requirements of a high-velocity hurricane zone. Multiple offices, breakrooms, and restrooms are located throughout the facility to serve the associates working inside.
CSO’s ongoing work with Walmart includes the following services:
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- Continual improvements and refinements of multiple distribution and fulfillment center prototypes
- Architect of record for active distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Tenant Architect for developer-delivered distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Post-occupancy renovations across multiple fulfillment centers
- Developing, documenting, and maintaining prototypical components utilized across new builds and renovations of distribution and fulfillment centers
CSO has been engaged on several of Walmart’s eCommerce fulfilment centers in multiple capacities. These massive buildings are dedicated to fulfilling Walmart.com’s online orders. They are highly automated buildings requiring extensive coordination with multiple Walmart departments. The buildings include automated shipping and receiving sorters, order consolidation sorters, pallet flow modules, manual and automated pack stations, and an extensive manual pick module. Additionally, office space, breakrooms, training rooms, restroom facilities, and secure entrances are included to support the needs of the associates who work within the building.
CSO’s relationship with Walmart varies based upon the project delivery for the facility. Our role includes:
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- Working with various Walmart departments to help establish building criteria in order to accommodate material handling
- Planning for accommodations for the associates working in the building
- Developing overall building plans that meet the specific needs of the project
- Coordinating with a general contractor for Walmart owned projects
- Coordinating with a developer for facilities leased by Walmart
- Ensuring that delivery of the project is as expected to the end users.
CSO’s ongoing work with Walmart includes the following services:
-
- Continual improvements and refinements of multiple distribution and fulfillment center prototypes
- Architect of record for active distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Tenant Architect for developer-delivered distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Post-occupancy renovations across multiple fulfillment centers
- Developing, documenting, and maintaining prototypical components utilized across new builds and renovations of distribution and fulfillment centers
Walmart consolidated two existing, older distribution centers into one new state-of-the-art apparel and footwear distribution center. The 1.2 million square foot building, located in Walmart’s back yard – Bentonville, Arkansas – serves up to 1,000 US Walmart stores.
Inside the building, CSO assisted with coordinating the infrastructure required to service a footwear sorter, apparel sorter, shipping sorter, multiple pick modules, extensive ceiling hung conveyors, design of multiple automation platforms, and a centralized corrugate waste vacuum system as well as planned expansions of the material handling systems within the building footprint.
Other features of the building include remote start-up areas with gathering space, personal lockers, device charging cabinets and workstations, multiple restroom and breakroom locations throughout the building, and conference and training rooms located adjacent to the main associate entrance.
CSO’s ongoing work with Walmart includes the following services:
-
- Continual improvements and refinements of multiple distribution and fulfillment center prototypes
- Architect of record for active distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Tenant Architect for developer-delivered distribution and fulfillment center projects
- Post-occupancy renovations across multiple fulfillment centers
- Developing, documenting, and maintaining prototypical components utilized across new builds and renovations of distribution and fulfillment centers
