Gator Millworks, the Denham Springs-based architectural woodworking firm, has broken ground on a 72,000-square-foot facility on Florida Boulevard near Juban Road in Livingston Parish, says company CEO Chad Foster.
In addition to tripling the firm’s current office space, the facility will house a state-of-the-art robotic system—the German-made automated Intellistore system—to manage its inventory. Foster, this year’s Young Businessperson of the Year, called the 2,600-square foot system a technological advancement that will make Gator Millworks “a lot more productive.”
The system involves a large robotic arm lifting plywood from stacks and carrying it to the receiving end of panel saws for cutting. New materials will then be unloaded in designated drop zones and moved to a fenced-in storage area, eliminating the need for employee oversight and saving the company time and costs.
The firm was initially planning to build a 50,000-square foot facility, reported Daily Report in February 2016, but since then Foster acquired an adjoining tract of land, reserving a total of 10.5 acres for its new digs.
The company will move its 45 employees to the new location, once the $6 million project is completed in May 2019. Foster anticipates adding anywhere from six to nine new jobs at some point in the future. Construction will begin in July.
