Rack Supported Catwalk System: Wellness Herbal Company
How KPC Products Doubled Hand-Picking Storage Capacity Without Relocating
When rapid growth demanded more storage space, Irvine-based wellness herb provider KPC Products faced a major operational hurdle: run out of picking space or pay premium rent for a larger building. Partnering with Shelf Master, KPC Products transformed their existing warehouse footprint by capitalizing on vertical space. Installing a custom Rack-Supported Catwalk System allowed them to double their hand-picking capacity while avoiding expensive relocation overhead.
When you can’t build out, you build up. The most valuable real estate in their building was the empty air above everyone’s head. Our job was to turn that vertical space into solid, usable square footage with an industrial mezzanine system.
THE CHALLENGE: How Can We Expand Capacity in a Tight Real Estate Market?
As demand for their products surged, KPC Products encountered a critical space constraint in their Irvine warehouse:
Limited Hand-Picking Area: Existing ground-level shelf space was fully utilized, leaving no room to expand their hand-picking area as inventory increased.
High Commercial Rent Costs: Moving to a larger industrial facility in Southern California would have dramatically increased monthly rent expenses.
Workflow Efficiency: They needed a solution that expanded pickable storage space without forcing a costly building relocation.
THE SOLUTION: A Custom Rack-Supported Catwalk System
Key Design & Equipment Highlights:
Two-Level Footprint (30′ x 37′ x 16′): Engineered vertical pallet racking that serves as structural support while creating a complete second-level floor dedicated to hand-picking.
Heavy-Duty Steel Access Stairway: Provides safe, direct access for warehouse staff to the upper catwalk tier.
Upper-Level Pallet Landing Gate: Allows forklift operators to safely lift palletized goods directly to the second-story deck for fast inventory replenishment.
High-Capacity Decking & Cross-Aisle Safety: Integrates durable deck flooring, wire decks, protective handrails, and open tunnel aisles beneath for unhindered ground-level operations.
THE RESULTS & IMPACT
By designing and building a rack-supported catwalk system, Shelf Master enabled KPC Products to double their hand-pick footprint and avoid the cost of relocating to a larger building.
We didn’t just sell them a steel mezzanine; we delivered a smarter, more efficient use of the building they already had.
Impact Metric
Key Outcome
Storage Expansion
Successfully doubled the cubic footage of storage space dedicated to hand-picked items.
Financial ROI
Completely avoided the high costs, lease increases, and operational downtime of moving to a new warehouse.
Operational Efficiency
Created a safe, highly organized two-tier picking area that supports ongoing inventory growth.
