Get Impressed streamlines warehouse operations with a mini-load system near Turin

Get Impressed: Any product you want

Get Impressed, an Italian company with an international presence, specializes in the import and distribution of promotional products. From its headquarters in Ciriè, near Turin, it supplies resellers and wholesalers throughout Europe. The business, founded in 1976, also has its own printing facility and a global operating network to ensure control, flexibility, and competitiveness across its supply chain.

Get Impressed, an Italian importer and distributor of promotional products, moved early to embrace warehouse automation. The company recently transformed its logistics operations by implementing a mini-load automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) at its headquarters in Ciriè, near Turin. “With our new Mecalux AS/RS for boxes and the intelligent supervision of Easy WMS, we can handle large volumes of merchandise accurately and without interruption,” says CEO Marco Brescia.

The company manages more than 25,000 SKUs, receives inbound containers every week, and fulfills between 300 and 350 orders daily — each averaging three to four order lines — for customers across Europe. Activity intensifies during peak periods. Brescia says: “Our business is highly seasonal, so we needed a solution that would speed up picking without adding personnel or increasing operational risk.”

In the new AS/RS, a 20-foot-tall mini-load stacker crane travels along a 125-foot-long aisle, storing and retrieving promotional products with precision. Equipped with telescopic forks, it operates within double-deep racking to maximize both capacity and operational efficiency. This configuration accommodates 2,736 cartons, each weighing up to 110 lb, in just over 1,400 ft². The racking also complies with seismic standards NTC 2018 and UNI EN 16681, enhancing the system’s resilience in the event of an earthquake.

“Easy WMS plays a central role in our warehouse because it coordinates every Mecalux solution and ensures seamless integration with our ERP system. Much of the operation runs through this software, giving us continuity, reliability, and complete traceability,” says Brescia. He also notes that Mecalux’s technical proposal proved decisive when selecting a provider: “Mecalux understood exactly what we needed and came up with a solution perfectly aligned with our goals. It introduced the right level of automation for our operation and gave us greater confidence in our processes.”

Goods-to-person picking

At the front of the AS/RS, associates fulfill orders at a U-shaped goods-to-person pick station equipped with an automated roller conveyor for boxes. Instead of walking through the facility to retrieve products, these employees receive the required cartons directly at their workstation. At the same time, the Easy WMS warehouse management system directs each task to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

The Mecalux software communicates continuously with Get Impressed’s ERP through a bidirectional interface. “Our ERP system automatically sends work orders to Easy WMS. The associate receives the carton, picks the required items, and moves on to the next order. Easy WMS also lets us leverage the contents of a single box to process multiple orders simultaneously,” says Brescia.

The technology’s impact on productivity was immediate. “At our Ciriè facility, we handle high-turnover promotional products. Cartons now arrive at the workstation in seconds, eliminating the long distances associates previously walked each day,” says Brescia. “Automation has significantly reduced order fulfillment times. Our existing team can now manage seasonal peaks without overtime or additional staff.”

The integrated Mecalux solution has also improved inventory organization by positioning products based on turnover. “Fast-moving goods are stored in the AS/RS, while slower-moving items remain in the selective pallet racks. This storage strategy has significantly increased efficiency, shortened fulfillment times, and boosted overall productivity,” says Brescia.

A clear vision for the future

The mini-load AS/RS strengthened Get Impressed’s operational capacity even before higher volumes made the investment essential. “We were pioneers in our industry,” says Brescia. “While others hesitated, we invested in a forward-looking solution that has since become a genuine competitive advantage.”

The Mecalux systems have streamlined order fulfillment, enabling the company to handle seasonal demand peaks without additional staffing. “Automation has expanded our operational capacity and given us the confidence to take on new challenges,” says Brescia. “Today, the system is one of our greatest strengths.”

Looking ahead, Get Impressed is already evaluating new technologies to further boost throughput and enhance its warehouse performance. “Once the system reaches full capacity, we’ll explore even more advanced solutions to continue improving efficiency and productivity,” says Brescia.

We were pioneers in our industry. While others hesitated, we invested in a forward-looking solution that has since become a genuine competitive advantage.