Metro Supply Chain to invest over $100M to highly automate fulfillment facilities

Photo of author

By CPE News

CPE News (11/14/2021) – Metro Supply Chain Group, a portfolio company of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), announced that it plans to further invest more than $100 million to highly automate several of its fulfillment facilities to provide some of the world’s fastest growing and most reputable brands with ecommerce solutions that deliver a rapid, reliable and seamless experience for their customers.

The first facility being outfitted is a 285,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building in Bolton, Ontario, dedicated to the apparel and footwear sector.

Metro Supply Chain Group will also continue to invest significantly in business intelligence capabilities that integrate fully into the automated solutions to offer customers the insights they need to make better operational, financial and business decisions. In October 2021, Metro Supply Chain Group acquired Supply Chain Alliance (SCA), a Toronto based consulting firm focused on helping clients solve the complex challenges inherent in modern supply chains.

with over 6000 employees across 70 sites, Montreal based Metro Supply Chain Group offers a full range of logistics and supply chain solutions.

Metro Supply Chain Group is controlled by CEO and Group Chairman Chiko Nanji. CDPQ has been a significant shareholder since 2018.

photo credit: Metro Supply Chain Group

News Release

Metro Supply Chain plans to further invest in excess of $100 million in its fulfillment network to provide customers with highly automated ecommerce solutions

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – Metro Supply Chain plans to further invest more than $100 million to highly automate several of its fulfillment facilities to provide some of the world’s fastest growing and most reputable brands with ecommerce solutions that deliver a rapid, reliable and seamless experience for their customers. In addition, the company continues to invest significantly in business intelligence capabilities that integrate fully into the automated solutions to offer customers the insights they need to make better operational, financial and business decisions.

The first facility being outfitted is a 285,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building in Bolton, Ontario, dedicated to the apparel and footwear sector.

“As real estate and labour costs continue to rise, and consumer demand wildly fluctuates in today’s complex, ecommerce-driven environment, businesses require an innovative strategy that boosts their time to market, delivers cost certainty and predictability, and builds capacity for future growth,” explains Martin Graham, Group President of Metro Supply Chain.

Following an extensive review, Metro Supply Chain selected for its first facility AutoStore, a leading, global cube storage and order fulfillment system powered by warehouse robots that quadruples storage capacity, offers fast access to inventory, and significantly reduces energy consumption.

Bastian Solutions will implement AutoStore into this facility and integrate it with automated conveyors, high-capacity packing stations, and high-density, very narrow aisle (VNA) racking to create a forward-looking ecommerce and unit pick solution that solves for both the seasonal and the unexpected peaks businesses face as customers continue to shop where, when, and how they wish.

“To deliver on their customer promise, companies need to become even more strategic in creating a transparent, demand-response model fueled by the right capabilities and technologies. We’re pleased to provide businesses with an automated, scalable ecommerce solution that gets them quicker to market and supports their long-term growth,” says Chiko Nanji, CEO and Group Chairman of Metro Supply Chain.

About Metro Supply Chain
Based in Canada, Metro Supply Chain shapes and delivers innovative supply chain solutions that help some of the world’s fastest growing and most reputable brands advance their businesses. Over the past 40+ years, it has grown into a significant operation of more than 80 sites and 6,000 associates across North America and Europe. Metro Supply Chain’s scale, capabilities, and entrepreneurial structure enable it to solve its customers’ most challenging supply chain needs, including the creation of complex e-commerce fulfillment and last mile delivery networks. 

SOURCE Metro Supply Chain