Pepperl+Fuchs recently celebrated the grand opening of a new United States distribution center (UDC) located in Katy, Texas. An over $25 million investment that spans an area of 110,000 square feet, the distribution center serves as the central warehouse from which Pepperl+Fuchs distributes more than 10,000 products worldwide. According to Pepperl+Fuchs, Katy, TX was chosen as the location for the new facility due to its proximity to the oil and gas industry as well as the Galveston Bay making it easier to receive product from Europe and Asia.

The new US Distribution Center houses an expanded solution engineering center (SEC), a customer training area, warehouse space and distribution facilities. The new distribution center showcases more than 1,000 Pepperl+Fuchs sensors. Specialized warehouse management software allows supervisors to keep an eye on operational data along the line. According to Pepperl+Fuchs,the IoT-enabled warehouse is one of the most modern distribution centers in North America. It allows the company to increase its efficiency and cost-effectiveness while providing customers with shorter delivery times.

The UDC’s high-tech manufacturing plant is the production hub for Pepperl+Fuchs’ purge and HMI product lines. The SEC is staffed by a team of professionals who design, build and certify customized solutions on-site for process automation in hazardous locations, such as oil refineries, pharmaceutical plants, and other facilities. Rather than taking months to separately engineer, manufacture and certify solutions, the SEC builds and certifies solutions in a matter of weeks. 

The UDC was scheduled for completion in the summer of 2017, but suffered extensive damage from a tornado caused by Hurricane Harvey. The storm’s impact required a massive rebuilding effort. Today, two years after the storm, the UDC is fully functional. The UDC and Solution Engineering Center in Katy is one of six throughout the world, with others located in England, Germany, China, Australia and Italy. A grand opening celebration for the new UDC took place at the facility in Katy, Texas on October 15 and included a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house.