Why This Matters to Distributors: Worldpac is investing in warehouse automation and additional distribution capacity to improve inventory management and order fulfillment. The project illustrates how automotive aftermarket distributors are using robotics to handle large product assortments, reduce manual picking requirements and improve service to professional repair customers.
Worldpac plans to open a 413,000-square-foot automated distribution center in Forest Park, Georgia, in the first half of 2027, expanding its automotive parts distribution network across the southeastern United States.
The facility will be its first distribution center to use automated storage and retrieval technology. The warehouse will incorporate robotics from AutoStore to manage inventory and move parts to employees for order picking and processing.
Worldpac expects the facility to create more than 150 jobs, with initial customer shipments scheduled for spring 2027.
The new distribution center will provide more than 250,000 additional square feet compared with Worldpac’s existing facility in Norcross, Georgia, approximately 28 miles away.
The company did not disclose the project’s cost, the number of robots to be installed or whether the Forest Park facility will replace its Norcross operation.
The Forest Park distribution center will use AutoStore’s automated storage and retrieval system to store automotive parts and deliver products to workstations for picking and processing.
The technology uses robots that travel across a storage grid to retrieve inventory from bins. The system brings products to employees rather than requiring workers to travel through warehouse aisles to locate individual parts.
Worldpac said the technology is intended to improve order accuracy, inventory management and processing speed while increasing the amount of merchandise the facility can handle.
The new distribution center will serve Worldpac branches and customers throughout the Southeast and surrounding markets.
“We are excited to expand Worldpac’s distribution presence in the Atlanta metro market and strengthen our ability to serve customers throughout the Southeastern United States,” said Rich Tannenbaum, Worldpac’s chief operating officer.
“The Forest Park facility represents a major step forward in our use of robotics and automation, helping us improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency,” Tannenbaum said.
The warehouse will be located at 2160 Anvil Block Road, Suite 200, about eight miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Worldpac distributes original equipment and aftermarket automotive replacement parts to professional repair shops and other automotive service businesses across North America.
The company supplies replacement parts for domestic and imported vehicles through a distribution network serving automotive repair professionals.
The Forest Park facility will expand Worldpac’s warehouse capacity in the Atlanta area while introducing automated storage and picking capabilities to its distribution operations.
The investment comes as automotive parts distributors manage increasingly complex inventories covering a broad range of vehicle makes, models and production years.
Professional repair shops depend on distributors to maintain parts availability and provide timely deliveries to complete customer repairs.
Automated storage and retrieval technology can help distributors accommodate larger inventories, reduce employee travel within warehouses, and improve the movement of products through fulfillment operations.
Worldpac has not disclosed projected productivity improvements, expected order volumes or the amount of additional inventory the new facility will hold.
The company expects to begin shipping orders from Forest Park in spring 2027, following completion of construction and installation of the automated systems.
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