Operations underway at Gulfstream's new Product Support Distribution Center

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that its new Product Support Distribution Center (PSDC) has begun the core operations of shipping and receiving parts.

The 405,868-square-foot/37,706-square-meter environment-friendly facility consolidated several of the company’s material distribution departments near the main Gulfstream Savannah campus. The climate-controlled PSDC, which was announced in January 2014, is home to more than 300 employees. Gulfstream maintains a worldwide spares support inventory of more than $1.6 billion.

“Spare parts distribution and management play a crucial role in Gulfstream’s day-to-day business, and this cutting-edge facility ensures our parts distribution network will continue to be the standard in business aviation for years to come,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “We are very pleased with how the automation technology and new processes have already helped us improve delivery times to customers. The investment in this facility and the high-tech equipment used in it will allow us to support our customers’ needs more efficiently as the Gulfstream fleet continues to grow in established locations and expand to new ones.”

Gulfstream’s parts distribution team manages approximately 500,000 unique part numbers for 18 aircraft models at 11 warehouses and service centers worldwide. The PSDC is the centerpiece of the network.The facility includes eco-friendly material handling equipment and ergonomically designed workspaces. Additionally, it is equipped with touchscreen-enabled workstations, which allow users to seamlessly interact with the customized automated inventory and workforce management system. The system intelligently stores and retrieves inventory based on intuitive storage volume calculations, in addition to workflow optimization rules.

“These systems cut the time it takes to pull parts from minutes to seconds while improving accuracy,” said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “What you are able to do with a system like this is optimize and prioritize the operations and placement of parts.”

The facility comprises 337,407 sf/31,346 sm of storage/production area for aircraft parts and materials and 67,779 sf/6,297sm of office space extended over three levels.

Earlier this year, the PSDC was awarded U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification recognizing the green elements of the facility:

Sustainable site development, including recycled fill and recycled construction waste

Low-flow plumbing features

Low-emitting construction materials

Reflective roofing materials and increased roof and window insulation for energy efficiency

Highly efficient HVAC systems, including chiller beams and energy recovery systems that optimize building performance

High-efficient lighting and lighting control sensors

Drought-tolerant and native plants requiring little or no irrigation

The PSDC is located in the NorthPort Industrial Park near the Interstate 95 and Georgia Highway 21 interchange in Savannah. The Savannah Economic Development Authority assisted Gulfstream with site selection.