For facilities management staff in Orange County, Florida, the key to success is efficiency. As the fifth largest county in the state and home to the bustling tourist hub of Orlando, maintaining organized and accessible county government buildings is paramount.
Dan Rodriguez, a warehouse supervisor for Orange County Facilities Management, recalls numerous discussions on improving the layouts and capacities of their various facilities management warehouses.
"Our older system was stationary and outdated," Rodriguez said. “It was a racking system purchased way before I ever came on board. The system was bolted to the ground and boxed for a specific size. Over the years, inventory has fluctuated. It’s grown and changed. We now need more – and larger – parts to maintain all the systems throughout the county buildings.”
“We were thinking of different ways to restructure the entire warehouse, but every idea seemed too expensive or impractical,” Rodriguez continued. “It just didn’t feel like we were moving in the right direction. We were trying to solve an issue without knowing the solutions available to us.”
Enter Patterson Pope.
Modern Storage Solutions
New building designs incorporate innovations to enhance aesthetics and efficiencies, and today's storage products and installation planning follow the same trend. Patterson Pope Sales Representative Ron Nienhuis, experienced in warehouse projects, understands that each has unique requirements, but all share a common goal: to simplify workers’ tasks.
“In Orange County, the team had a clear vision but lacked the means to achieve it,” said Nienhuis. “Patterson Pope excels in these scenarios, helping to shape workspaces and workflows.”
The Orange County Facilities Management team discovered Patterson Pope after learning about a successful project with the local sheriff’s office.
“We had heard that the sheriff’s office here in Orange County had used Patterson Pope for a storage project of their own,” said Rodriguez. “We went to check it out, and once we saw their system, we knew we wanted to get something similar for our warehouses. It was exciting.”
Teamwork and Planning
After redesigning a warehouse in the county’s East District, the team began work on the downtown Orlando location. Lessons from the first project led to a series of design collaborations for the second location, resulting in the ideal solution.
“We installed wide-span shelving on ActivRAC mobile systems and reconfigured the shelves’ directional alignment to better suit their storage needs,” explained Nienhuis. “The four-foot-deep shelves accommodate various items like air filters, lights, tools, and plumbing supplies.”
Rodriguez appreciated the collaborative process. “We appreciated that Patterson Pope allowed us to be so involved,” he said. “In the end, we were very satisfied. We went from three racks to ten, so now we’ve got all sorts of room. We’re now able to stock things in a much more organized fashion. It looks better and feels better. That change has been really good for us.”
Benefits of Heavy-Duty Industrial Shelving
Rodriguez said previous experience had taught the team to go with reinforced, heavy-duty shelving. While each warehouse generally stores similar items, the flexibility to custom-order precisely what they wanted or needed added a valuable sense of control over the process.
“It’s been a game-changer for us. These projects have taken us from ‘dealing with’ limited, restricted spaces to enjoying areas that offer expansion and flexibility,” said Rodriguez. “Once we collapse the shelving downtown, for instance, we have tons of space to maneuver, to bring a forklift in, etc. These are things we had issues with before. Now, everything’s smooth. The installation was done really well. It’s helped us in a very positive way, and our manager is thrilled with the increased efficiency in our warehouse.”
Fit, Feel, and Function
Ron Nienhuis values the problem-solving aspect of his work, helping customers find the best solutions.
“I enjoy the entire process, from asking the right questions to seeing the final results,” said Nienhuis. “Patterson Pope’s expertise provides a natural advantage in finding effective solutions. I enjoy the back-and-forth collaborative nature of the work. It’s gratifying to see a client’s delighted reaction after installation.”
“It’s such a great feeling to walk away from a project knowing you did exactly what you set out to do,” concluded Rodriguez. “I’m a logistician by trade and have been in the logistics field for more than 15 years. I’m always thinking, ‘How can we make it better?’ Patterson Pope’s insights from other jobs have been incredibly helpful. It shows that they’re focused on solutions.”
Efficiency and effective solutions are at the heart of this successful collaboration. To learn more about this project, check out the case study — or speak directly with a storage specialist today to discover how we can contribute to your project’s success.
