AMS Fulfillment Inc., a third-party company for warehousing, assembly and order-fulfillment services, has opened a new headquarters and sixth warehouse. Located just down the street from its old headquarters, the new building is home to the firm’s suite of executive offices, reception area and a 120,000-square-foot warehouse. In this warehouse expansion, the executive suites and reception area account for 7,000 square feet on a mezzanine and second floor level of the warehouse. All properties are located within the Valencia Commerce Center.
“It feels great to be here,” said Jay Catlin, president and managing partner of AMS. “The warehouse expansion and new offices give us the same sort of close-knit feel, but we’re no longer on top of each other.”
Nonstop growth
AMS Fulfillment, a privately owned company, first launched its business operation in the business park in July 2002 in only 30,000 square feet of warehouse space. Today, the firm occupies six warehouses and nearly 500,000 square feet of space. The company manages inventory warehousing, tracking, customer-order fulfillment and shipping for name-brand product manufacturers, such as Toms Shoes, Umbro and Arbor Sports.
With Ken Wiseman, managing partner and CEO, Catlin manages tens of thousands of retail items, product orders and shipments for 40 active retail clients. Employing more than 175 permanent employees and about 50 regular temporary employees, AMS reported in May that business has grown so steadily it doubled the number of buildings it occupied in 2010 and doubled its revenue.
New digs
Although AMS moved into its new warehouse just last week, the company is already nearing capacity and shopping for a seventh warehouse. “We’re almost at capacity,” Catlin said. “We’re adding more racks within the next week.”
This may be good news for the business, but bad news for Marco Pelaez, vice president of operations. “It was a nightmare moving in,” Palaez joked. So many details had to be planned and executed, from a new phone center to a security system, phone and data systems, as well as installing all the inventory racks, he said. He worked 14 to 15 hours daily in the month leading up to the opening.
AMS shifted inventory from four clients out of over-crowded warehouses and into the new warehouse expansion. Those four clients nearly filled up the new headquarters, Catlin said. “We’re already at 80-percent capacity for all buildings,” Catlin said.
Shopping
Projecting future growth, Catlin said AMS already knows it needs additional warehouse space. In planning for new clients, the company is planning to grow, but grow smartly. “We’re looking at activity by client to strike a good balance in flow,” Catlin said. “But it feels great to be in this position.”
AMS is looking for more buildings in the area, Catlin said. Owners Catlin and Wiseman have one facility in mind that would give the company another 50,000 square feet next door to one of their other warehouses, giving them up to 90,000 square feet of space combined.
Despite the painstaking efforts AMS took to move to its new location, Palaez said he’s up to the task of doing it all over again. “I don’t think about what we have now,” said Palaez. “I see what we’ll have in the future and know it will be even better and more efficient.”
Los Angeles, CA, April 15, 2011: Taylor All-Stars, flip-flops, or fancy Monolo Blahniks. No matter what you like to wear on your feet could you imagine them disappearing and having to go barefoot? One local company decided to find out by throwing off their shoes and kicking up their heels all for a good cause.
Los Angeles, CA, October 18th, 2010 – AMS Fulfillment Services management and employees have been greatly impacted by the courageous battle of one of their own against breast cancer. When the opportunity recently arose to support their co-worker, Jean Meyer, by becoming a Run for Her sponsor, AMS employees quickly stepped up.
AMS Fulfillment Services has given a stimulus that demonstrates despite a down economy, an order fulfillment company can have a profitable year, and it can help its clients have a good year as well. While AMS experienced an overall reduction in sales in 2009, they were successful in mitigating the reduction by significant cost reductions and efficiency improvements, thus continuing a track record of bottom line growth
Los Angeles, CA, June 16, 2010 (PressReleasePoint) – Eleven youth involved in the Sheriff’s Dept. Val Verde YAL Program (Youth Activity League), were recruited into AMS Fulfillment to participate in AMS’s newly formed youth work program.
Los Angeles, CA – May 14, 2008 – AMS Fulfillment (Advantage Media Services, Inc), a leading provider of fulfillment services, announces record growth in its client base and the expansion of West Coast Operations by adding a new 40,000 Sq. Foot facility in Buena Park/LA Mirada, CA. This expansion brings the total U.S. warehouse and operating space for AMS to just over 200,000 Sq. Feet.
Los Angeles, CA – April 2008 – Ken Wiseman, of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Search and Rescue Team, nominated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, has been selected as the “Volunteer of the Year”. Ken was honored and recognized at the Los Angeles County Volunteer of the Year luncheon on Monday April 21, 2008, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.