Keep Up with Northern California Wine, Manufacturing and Agriculture Material Handling Needs

Lane Andrews | 1 February 2023

For Northern California, wine, manufacturing and agriculture are leading industries. Known as the fourth leading wine producer in the world, California makes 81 percent of all U.S. wine. In fact, three of every five bottles sold in the U.S. are California wines, according to the California Wine Institute. In manufacturing, California ranks first in shipping port activity and exports about $134 billion in manufactured goods. In agriculture, California has more than 400 commodities and grows a third of the U.S.’s vegetables and three-quarters of the nation’s fruits and nuts.

All of these products require specific material handling needs to ensure that products are handled properly, customers receive products as expected and business objectives are met. As a premier automation integrator, we know that the future of material handling is the delivery of integrated solutions.

To align with market changes and customer needs, the Toyota Advanced Logistics Group (TAL) complements Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG) with advanced logistics services. Through the relationship with TAL, Bastian Solutions partners with TMH to bring customers automated solutions to meet any market challenge. By combining data-driven designs, scalable material handling systems, and innovative software, Bastian Solutions and TMH work together to help clients across a broad spectrum of markets become leaders in their industries.

Supporting Wine, Manufacturing and Agriculture with Automation

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage industry faces a variety of industry challenges: extreme environment conditions for refrigerated and frozen foods, multi-day shifts, warehouse and manufacturing locations in non-populous areas which can create labor challenges, and product variance in weight, size, shape and delicacy. We worked with Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits of America, the largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S. with operations in 44 states, to help employ appropriate automation technologies to give them the competitive edge they sought. After consolidating all the inventory and functions of its Florida facilities into a single location, Southern Glazer’s Lakeland, Florida, facility is now the largest spirits and wine distribution hub on the planet, standing at an impressive 1.2 million square feet. Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits utilizes Bastian’s proprietary software Exacta Bev, miles of conveyor, automated pallet storage and pick modules to facilitate distribution throughout the country.

Tire and Wheel Manufacturing

Tire and wheel manufacturers face unique challenges when sourcing material handling solutions to move, handle and store product efficiently without unnecessary risk or waste. To create a reliable competitive edge, smart companies are modernizing operations with scalable, advanced automated technologies that support growth and provide flexibility. We use our own custom Automation and robotics divisions that are well equipped to handle a variety of custom applications. Our teams work together provide custom end-of-arm tooling for any manufacturing robot no matter how fragile or delicate your product may be.

Agriculture

With rising costs of labor, a need for safe working environments, and maintaining operations with the latest cutting-edge technology, automated palletizing equipment and systems are smart options to increase accuracy, reliability and efficiency. This may be most applicable to the agriculture industry. Palletizing by hand is terrible ergonomically, resulting in countless injuries per year. This makes robotic palletizing one of the highest ROI solutions in the market. 

Our engineers are experts in automating palletizing operations using both robotic and conventional palletizer systems. With the ability to provide highly customized strategies, implement advanced technologies, and take a consultative approach to working together.

Delivering Integrated Solutions in Oregon and Northern California

Now serving the Central Valley, Bay Area and everywhere between the Oregon and California border, as well as Fresno area, Bastian Solutions is available for all your automation needs. Co-located at the Toyota Material Handling Northern California (TMHNC) West Sacramento Branch, Bastian Solutions’ regional office helps to bring dock-to-dock automation solutions, as well as traditional material handling capabilities of forklifts, commercial vehicles, dock and doors, high-speed doors, and more.

TMHNC has offices all over Northern California, including Livermore, Salinas, Fresno, West Sacramento, and an office coming to North Bay shortly. The Bastian partnership with TMHNC’s coverage provides local resources throughout Northern California.

While agriculture, manufacturing, and food and beverage (wine country) are the leading industries in Northern California, all types of applications are welcome to bring by Bastian and TMHNC, regardless of size. Whether your project needs simple conveyor or a full-scale overhaul of your warehouse to maximize space and throughput, we’re available to discuss your application.

Author: Lane Andrews