The owner and founder of Power Automation Systems– Pat Mitchell, began the company out of necessity. After much deliberation and research into automated storage and retrieval systems capable of meeting the needs of his company– California Natural Products, Mr. Mitchell was left wanting more.

Steadily growing over a 6 year period, CNP's production capability soon outweighed their warehousing and distribution capability which at the time was handled with conventional fork lifts.

The need for automation was apparent but the automated storage and retrieval system that could handle the current need and adapt to the projected growth of the company remained elusive.

With two years invested in the research of an automated storage and retrieval system that could meet their demand, CNP was left with the following needs:

• Lower cost per pallet automated storage.
• More pallet moves per hour.
• Increased use of available square footage in their warehouse / distribution center.
• 100% access to 100% of their products, 100% of the time.
• Less downtime.
• Simpler maintenance.
• Cheaper, easier to find spare parts.
• The ability to stage trucks without error.

Always the innovator, Pat undertook the conceptualization of a system that met the needs of his own business– a solution to CNP’s problem that was effective, efficient and adaptable allowing high volume, high-density storage for a broad range of aseptically packaged food products at a price that he could afford. That solution was PowerStor™, PowerStage™ and PowerBuild™.

PowerStor maximizes the usable space of a warehouse by allowing pallets to be stacked higher vertically via an ironclad racking structure while minimizing the space occupied by functional components of the storage and retrieval system. The simple and elegant concept utilizes redundant modular components that require less maintenance than other automated storage systems on the market and decrease the product loss incurred by traditional forklift operated warehouses.