Innovation Takes Center Stage
Kenco welcomed customers, technology partners, media representatives, community members, and team members to celebrate the grand opening of its expanded Innovation Lab, marking an important milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and the future of supply chain solutions.
The event began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by CEO Denis Reilly, officially opening the new 30,000-square-foot facility. Building upon the legacy of Kenco’s original Innovation Lab, the expanded space provides greater opportunities to evaluate emerging technologies, develop practical solutions, and address real-world supply chain challenges.
Opening the Next Chapter
The ribbon cutting served as more than a celebration of a new facility. It highlighted Kenco’s continued investment in finding innovative ways to improve customer performance, support operational excellence, and enhance the daily experiences of associates across the supply chain.
Following the ceremony, guests toured the facility and saw firsthand how the latest advancements in automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and warehouse technology are reshaping logistics operations.
Innovation on Display
Throughout the lab, attendees experienced live demonstrations from leading supply chain technology providers, including:
GreyOrange:
“Kenco has always pushed this industry to think further about what automation can do,” said Akash Gupta, CEO of GreyOrange. “As 3PLs scale their operations and deploy increasingly heterogenous fleets, real gains come from getting every piece of technology and every person on the floor working seamlessly. That’s what orchestration delivers in practice: higher throughput, reduced costs per unit, and better-supported associates. Kenco is putting that into practice at scale, and we’re proud to help show what it looks like in the new Innovation Lab.”
Berkshire Grey:
“Kenco’s Innovation Lab Grand Opening was a great opportunity to connect with industry peers and see practical automation in action. The lab is impressive, and we were proud to give visitors a firsthand look at how Berkshire Grey’s Core™ Robotic Picking System is tackling warehouse automation challenges for 3PLs.”
Alex Lawrence, Director of Partner Success
Rabot:
“We started with Kenco in 2023 on a single cold-pack station in Chattanooga, and it’s been great to grow alongside the innovation team since. Walking the new lab on opening day, you could feel the difference. Visitors saw real equipment doing real work, side by side. We’re proud to be on that floor.”
Isura Ranatunga, Co-Founder
Locus:
“Kenco’s Innovation Lab is an excellent showcase of several different technologies available to help mitigate increasingly complex volatility and labor requirements. It demonstrates that there are several different ways to solve these problems, and that Kenco has the knowledge and resources to help their clients determine and customize the right solution for them.”
Alan McDonald, VP Industry Solutions
Kargo. AI
“Kargo is pleased to be featured in Kenco’s Innovation Lab, and we’re excited to partner with a team focused on improving supply chain operations through technology and automation.”
Sam Lurye, Founder & CEO
Dane Technologies:
“I was impressed by Kenco’s state-of-the-art innovation lab and honored that Dane Technologies could participate in its grand opening. It is rare to find a non-production facility where our Autonomous Inventory Robot (AiR DC) is showcased alongside other industry-leading technologies in a single environment. This unique space gives clients and prospects the opportunity to experience these solutions in action firsthand, rather than simply watching a video or reading about them, making it easier to understand their real-world impact and value.”
Tom Suelflow, SVP of Manufacturing, Engineering and R&D
Hai:
“The energy and turnout at Kenco’s ribbon-cutting was impressive, and it was especially exciting to see the strong customer interest in our HaiPick Systems. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Kenco and continuing to deliver innovative warehouse solutions that create value for both Kenco and their customers.”
Paul Pendleton, VP of Delivery and Installation
The Team Behind the Innovation Lab
The future of supply chain innovation depends on the people turning bold ideas into real-world results. Driving the next generation of logistics innovation are Jason Minghini, SVP of Supply Chain Solutions; Ainsley Williams, VP of Innovation (Robotics & Automation); Chandler Grant, Sr. Innovation Manager; Julia Treis, Lead Engineer of Automation; Oscar Corniel, Director of Supply Chain Solutions; and Dylan Minghini, Innovation Delivery Manager. Together, they bring deep expertise across supply chain strategy, automation, robotics, engineering, and operational excellence.
From developing customer-focused solutions to identifying, testing, and implementing emerging technologies, this team is helping shape the future of logistics. Their collective experience offers valuable insights into how innovation, automation, and execution can work together to create smarter, more efficient, and more resilient supply chain operations.
Turning Innovation into Results
The tour also highlighted the measurable impact that innovation can have when applied to real-world operations. Technologies tested and evaluated through Kenco’s innovation efforts have delivered impressive results, including:
- Three times greater productivity through Goods-to-Person picking solutions
- Up to 60% increased storage density with automated storage and retrieval systems
- 99.9% damage detection accuracy through vision inspection technology
- 50-70% reductions in travel time with autonomous mobile robots
- 30-50% productivity improvements through Warehouse Execution System orchestration
- 20% reductions in worker idle time
More Than a Technology Showcase
A key message throughout the event was that innovation is ultimately about people.
Designed as a vendor-neutral environment, the Innovation Lab provides a space where emerging technologies can be evaluated objectively, ensuring solutions address real operational challenges and are ready for deployment. The expanded facility also creates new opportunities for collaboration with Chattanooga’s growing technology community, welcoming innovators, educators, students, and industry partners to learn, explore, and engage with cutting-edge supply chain solutions.
As guests wrapped up the afternoon, the excitement was clear. The Innovation Lab represents more than a facility. It is a place where ideas are tested, technologies are validated, partnerships are strengthened, and the future of supply chain innovation comes to life. Kenco’s expanded Innovation Lab will continue serving as a hub for learning, collaboration, and innovation, helping shape the next generation of solutions for customers, associates, and the industry as a whole.