Case Study: Fabiano Brothers achieves streamlined operations and doubled order-picking productivity with The Raymond Corporation

Fabiano Brothers Beverage Distribution Center Optimizes Warehouse

Fabiano Brothers, a fourth-generation beverage distributor serving central and northern Michigan and central Wisconsin, consolidated four facilities into two and faced the challenge of maintaining annual volume (about 8.5M beer cases), optimizing space, increasing lift-truck and order-picking productivity, and improving operator ergonomics. To redesign its material‑handling operations the company worked with Andersen Material Handling, a Raymond authorized Sales and Service Center, and adopted solutions from The Raymond Corporation including Model 4700, Model 8400 and Model 4200 lift trucks and Cascade attachments.

The Raymond Corporation’s recommended fleet — three Model 4700 sit-down trucks with Cascade Single‑Double pallet handlers, twenty Model 8400 end‑rider pallet trucks with custom double‑long forks (designed to carry four retail carts), and four Model 4200 stand‑up trucks integrated with the voice‑picking system — halved unload time with double‑pallet handling and doubled picking productivity (from two carts per pick to four). These changes improved ergonomics, maximized warehouse space and delivered a notably higher productivity per man‑hour across picking and delivery.

Fabiano Brothers

Tom Tuma

Chief operating officer