A.P. Moller – Maersk teams with Fabric on automated ecommerce fulfillment center

Logistics company A.P. Moller - Maersk and Fabric have introduced a new 38,000-square-foot automated-fulfillment center in Dallas, Texas, powered by Fabric’s advanced robotic and software technology, the companies announced today. The new facility features an AI-driven, automated e-commerce fulfillment solution in an urban environment to maximize warehouse productivity while minimizing real estate footprint requirements, the companies explained.

"The growth of E-commerce continues to reshape the retail landscape. As we look to help our customers streamline their supply chains end-to-end, we see Fabric’s automated fulfillment solution as one that is highly capable of meeting the demand for efficient warehousing and fulfillment where labor and real estate resources are scarce,” said Erez Agmoni, Maersk’s global head of innovation - logistics & services.  

Fabric's high-density, high-throughput cube-based storage system can fully leverage warehouse ceiling heights to effectively maximize the potential of smaller facility footprints, the companies added. And with the assistance of advanced robots and software, the system is optimized to fulfill orders of single-picked items for same-day or next-day delivery. This design makes the technology well-suited for distributed warehouse networks in urban areas, putting goods closer to population centers, thereby cutting shipping costs and expediting delivery times. The Dallas facility is optimized for high-volume, business-to-consumer e-commerce, capable of managing up to 25,000 SKUs. 

“With our proven track record of operating our state-of-the-art facilities for the past five years, we have honed our capabilities to make each piece of the fulfillment process work together seamlessly to enable retailers to unlock the business value of fulfillment automation. Teaming up with Maersk allows each company to do what it does best, with the ultimate goal of offering retailers unprecedented value and service,” said Avi (Jack) Jacoby, Fabric’s CEO. 

Final facility preparations are underway, and the site is expected to be fully operational this fall in support of an online B2C retailer. The site will initially be used by a single customer, however, the location and Fabric technology employed there allows for scalability and adaptability to accommodate the needs of multiple retailers operating a diverse range of businesses, Modern has learned.