Customer Case Study
Customer: Mecklenburg County ABC Stores
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Channel: Distribution / Reseller
Industry: Alcoholic Beverage
Application: Material Handling & Warehousing Optimization
Introduction
In mid-2025, the Mecklenburg County Alcohol Control Board issued an RFP to multiple vendors for several pieces of material handling equipment intended to improve pallet movement efficiency within its central warehouse operations.
As one of the first companies to respond, Atlantic Forklift Services met with the Board’s logistics team onsite and quickly realized that a few pieces of equipment alone would not fully achieve the Board’s operational goals. While the immediate need appeared to be additional material handling equipment, the underlying challenges extended much deeper into warehouse layout, storage utilization, and long-term operational efficiency.
The project presented several complexities, including limited warehouse space, low-bay ceiling restrictions in portions of the facility, the need to work around active warehouse operations, and strict budget requirements. Rather than simply supplying equipment, Atlantic proposed a comprehensive warehouse optimization strategy designed to address both current operational bottlenecks and future growth requirements.
About Us
Atlantic Forklift Services serves warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution organizations across the Carolinas with professional equipment sales, rentals, service, repair, parts, training, and solution consulting. As a Platinum award-winning dealership, Atlantic partners with world-class equipment manufacturers including Bobcat (formerly Doosan). Our mission is to provide noticeably superior customer service and flexible solutions rooted in honest relationships and commitment to our customers’ success.
Application Summary
Following the repeal of national prohibition in 1933, states were given authority to determine how alcoholic beverages would be regulated and distributed. In North Carolina, the government control model was adopted, allowing beer and wine sales through private retailers while reserving spirit sales exclusively for state-operated Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Boards.
The Mecklenburg County ABC Board is one of 171 active ABC Boards across North Carolina and operates thirty-one retail locations supplied by two warehouse facilities. These warehouses receive, store, pick, and distribute bulk quantities of alcoholic beverages to stores throughout Mecklenburg County. As a result, the Board functions not only as a retail organization, but also as its own warehousing and logistics provider, requiring efficient material handling systems capable of supporting high-volume operations while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.
Challenge
To better understand the Board’s needs, Atlantic Forklift Services conducted a comprehensive Material Handling Needs Assessment. This evaluation included a detailed survey of the facility, inventory of existing equipment and building characteristics, collection of operational metrics, and prioritization of business objectives.
The assessment revealed that increasing product demand and expanding inventory requirements were placing significant strain on the warehouse’s storage capacity and operational efficiency.
- Growing product volumes and inventory demands were rapidly reducing available warehouse capacity and operational efficiency.
- Most inventory was stored directly on the warehouse floor, resulting in inefficient use of vertical storage space and longer travel distances for picking operations.
- The facility consisted of two distinct storage environments: a high-bay area with 40-foot ceilings and a low-bay area with 20-foot ceilings, each requiring different storage solutions.
- The Board required both immediate equipment improvements and a long-term warehouse optimization strategy.
- Any solution needed to maximize storage capacity and productivity while minimizing operational disruption and ongoing costs.
- As a government agency, all recommendations had to meet strict budget requirements and public accountability standards.
- Future warehouse expansion or relocation remained a possibility, making flexibility an important consideration for all investments.
The challenge became clear: create a scalable warehouse optimization plan that would increase storage density, improve operational efficiency, and remain adaptable to future facility changes—all while staying within budget and maintaining uninterrupted daily operations.
Quote
“Atlantic Forklift has been an outstanding partner – not just throughout this project, but for coming in and really understanding our needs as a Board overall. Atlantic was able to work within our rigid budget limitations and timelines, which we attribute to the major effort they put in with upfront planning.
To have the plan and pricing fully laid out for us and explained in transparent conversations was invaluable. It showed that Atlantic was thinking of us the entire time, which gave us the confidence that they were the partner for all our projects.”
Solution
After analyzing the facility and operational requirements, Atlantic developed a comprehensive optimization strategy centered around three primary objectives:
- Install new pallet racking systems to significantly increase storage capacity and improve inventory organization.
- Redesign warehouse layouts to streamline pick-and-pack workflows and reduce travel time.
- Deploy specialized material handling equipment capable of supporting the upgraded storage systems and operational processes.
For the low-bay warehouse area, Atlantic designed and installed multiple rows of standard selective pallet racking that integrated seamlessly with the Board’s existing sit-down forklifts. This approach doubled pallet storage positions while maintaining efficient traffic flow and staging lanes for outbound shipments.
In the high-bay area, Atlantic implemented a narrow-aisle, multi-tier selective racking system paired with specialized narrow-aisle forklifts. This solution not only doubled available storage capacity but also relocated picking stations closer to stored inventory, dramatically reducing travel distances and improving order fulfillment efficiency.
Beyond equipment and racking, Atlantic served as the project’s Turn-Key Project Integrator, delivering a fully coordinated solution that included:
- Complete warehouse planning, layout drawings, elevations, racking specifications, and equipment selection in a single design package.
- Early coordination of zoning, permitting, and building code requirements to avoid project delays.
- Management of racking installation through trusted partners while coordinating schedules around active warehouse operations.
- Leasing recommendations for specialized narrow-aisle equipment to reduce upfront capital expenses and preserve long-term flexibility.
- Temporary equipment deployment from Atlantic’s rental fleet to maintain project momentum during equipment lead times.
- A Master Maintenance Service Agreement covering forklifts, pallet jacks, racking systems, and ancillary equipment.
- Extensive structural protection systems including endcap guards, column guards, aisle guards, and corner protection to safeguard the Board’s investment.
- Single-point project management that coordinated multiple vendors and maintained clear communication throughout implementation.
Results
Through close collaboration between Atlantic Forklift Services and the Mecklenburg County ABC Board, the project was completed on time and within budget. The resulting improvements delivered substantial gains in warehouse capacity, operational efficiency, and long-term scalability.
The Board achieved significantly greater storage density within the same facility footprint while simultaneously improving order fulfillment workflows and labor productivity. The success of the project also led the Board to engage Atlantic on additional initiatives, including equipment requirements for overflow warehouse operations and warehouse striping projects to further enhance safety and organization.
Today, the Mecklenburg County ABC Board benefits from a more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective warehouse operation that is positioned to support future growth while maintaining exceptional service to its stores and constituents.
- 100%+ increase in warehouse storage capacity within the existing facility footprint
- 30% improvement in labor efficiency for pick-and-pack operations
- 24/7 emergency response coverage by Atlantic Forklift Services
- 10% reduction in maintenance costs through a consolidated service agreement
To learn more about Atlantic Forklift Services and how we can help optimize your warehouse operations, please contact us by phone at (866) 243-0991, by email at info@atlanticforkliftservices.com.