Mathis Brothers: decoration trendsetters from Oklahoma

Mathis Brothers: the solution to their growth

Mathis Brothers was founded in 1960 in Oklahoma City. Currently, they are under second-generation company ownership and are at the forefront of a flourishing furniture business backed by an enormous 45,000 m² warehouse. Mathis Brothers boasts the largest selection of furniture in the state of Oklahoma and offers medium to high-end priced furniture.

Although the showroom was the first priority in the expansion process of Mathis Brothers, they immediately made the decision to expand storage capacity as well, since the actions go hand in hand.

Upon opening more Mathis stores in the Tulsa area, the warehouse, which serves as a distribution centre for all warehouses in the area, quickly saw demand increase and became too small. The solution was to carry out an 11,000 m² expansion, which included 6,600 m² for the warehouse and 4,400 m² for the showroom.

Relying on Interlake Mecalux racking

Another of the objectives was to improve and modernise the existing racks to best suit their current needs. The Interlake Mecalux technical and sales team knew exactly what was needed and what the most appropriate choice was for Mathis Brothers: pallet racks by Interlake Mecalux.

The pallet racking has the distinctiveness of offering multiple storage options for goods, in addition to a great versatility to adapt to both the facility and the products warehoused. At the same time, it allows the housing of many different SKUs and direct access to each one of them. This is key for a company such as Mathis Brothers that warehouses different models, sizes and shapes of furniture.

One of the reasons that Mathis Brothers chose Interlake Mecalux pallet racking was to minimise the damage caused to their furniture. This is one of the major drawbacks furniture manufacturers, retailers and distributors suffer. Their products tend to be bulky, heavy and difficult to handle.

The racks also include particleboard, aiming to provide additional support. The wooden panels are set on the beams, offering a smooth surface over which the pieces of furniture easily slide.

'Ad hoc' distribution
Mathis Brothers were very clear that the 9,290 m² warehouse would be filled with racks. Therefore, how to use the space fully had to be considered.

Designing pallet racks for furniture is not the same as designing pallet racks for standard goods. To do this, it is fundamental to take into account the sizes, weights and heights of the furniture in order to organise the racks based on the characteristics of each product.

Hence, the racks are as diverse as the warehoused products: some racks are double-depth, the beam lengths range from 2 m to 3.5 m, etc.

A strong team

Although the shipment of the racks arrived on time, the construction of the new Mathis Brothers warehouse suffered delays due to the weather. What do you do when you have 160 tons of steel racks without anywhere to put them?

Far from complaining about it, project team members immediately knew how to react and worked cohesively to minimise the problem: part of the material was placed outdoors, but had to be covered and moved a couple of times before erecting the racking inside. In addition, ramps were built for unloading goods, to not interfere with the construction of the warehouse.

All the participants involved in the project, both Southern Material Handling and Russell Industries, as well as Mathis Brothers and Interlake Mecalux, worked together to optimise distribution processes and maximise the potential of this well-known furniture dealer.

The success of the project sums up perfectly what impeccable organisation and good teamwork means, and what an excellent racking supplier can offer.

The Mathis Brothers’ philosophy focuses on the expansion of its installations if financial circumstances permit it. For this reason, they have not ruled out further enlargements within Oklahoma City and in other areas.

Advantages for Mathis Brothers

• Boosted storage capacity: 55,000 SKUs can be warehoused in an 11,000 m² surface.
• Efficient service: thanks to this new logistics centre, Mathis Brothers has reached the high level of service that their customers demand and are able to offer faster, error free delivery.
• Rapid response to orders: the storage system installed is very versatile and allows the operator direct access to any product.
• Optimal warehouse management: all of the above-mentioned benefits will improve the management of warehouse processes.