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September 22, 2026 – Kimball Midwest and Locus Robotics recently won the Best Use of Robotics category at the 2026 Supply Chain Excellence Awards USA.
Kimball Midwest implemented Locus Robotics to expand warehouse capacity while protecting its commitment to ship 99.9% of orders received by the cutoff time the same day. After launching in Columbus in January 2024, the company expanded the program from one site to three in just 14 months, supporting significant sustained growth.
“This award is more than an operational achievement,” Kimball Midwest President Patrick McCurdy III said. “By adding capacity and flexibility in our distribution centers, we are helping ensure customers receive the products they need quickly and reliably while giving our sales team greater confidence that we can continue delivering on the service promises that set Kimball Midwest apart.”
Today, a fleet of more than 100 Locus autonomous mobile robots support picking and restocking across Kimball Midwest distribution centers in Ohio, Texas and Nevada. Together, the three facilities have completed more than 13.2 million robot-assisted lines picked and about 1 million lines restocked.
“What made this program unique was the way it changed the flow of work across the warehouse,” said Steve Good, Kimball Midwest’s director of operations. “Using one robotics platform for both picking and restocking allows managers to reallocate associates as priorities change throughout the day. Capacity can shift from replenishment in the morning to order fulfillment as shipping cutoffs approach, eliminating the need for separate labor pools.
“Our teams can move between picking, restocking and replenishment based on current demand, and that responsiveness has helped us maintain our same-day 99.9% fill rate while creating a better experience for associates.”
The Supply Chain Excellence Awards USA celebrate measurable achievements in logistics, warehousing, technology and supply chain management. Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of industry leaders based on business benefits, competitive advantage, depth of application, collaboration and evidence of results. The awards were presented during a September 15 event at Union Station in Dallas.
