Sorting out the issue: Costly roadblock into a scalable success

Overview
A major grocery distributor invested in a new, multi-million-dollar pallet sorting system to improve efficiency across its distribution network. Shortly after installation, the customer discovered a critical upstream issue that prevented the equipment from operating as intended. Cherry’s Industrial Solutions partnered with the customer to identify the root cause, implement a corrective solution, and ultimately standardize that solution across all distribution centers.


The Challenge
The newly purchased pallet sorter required pallets to enter the system perfectly straight in order to function. In real-world warehouse conditions, pallets were frequently misaligned, causing the sorter to malfunction and preventing the customer from putting the equipment into service. The result was a costly bottleneck: a high-value asset sitting idle and operations unable to move forward.


The Solution
Cherry’s worked closely with the customer to fully understand the issue.  We recommended and installed a Pallet Tunnel straightener to ensure consistent pallet alignment before entering the system. The Cherry’s team supported the customer through installation and startup, verifying that the solution integrated seamlessly with the existing equipment and performed reliably in a live distribution environment.


The Results
With the Pallet Tunnel in place, the pallet sorter was able to operate as designed, immediately unblocking the customer’s operation. The customer successfully brought the equipment online, restored expected throughput, and avoided further delays tied to misaligned pallets. Based on the performance of the solution and the level of service provided, the customer expanded the use of Cherry’s Pallet Tunnel straighteners across all of their distribution centers.


Conclusion
This project represents a broader value proposition that Cherry’s delivers consistently. Customers often invest in complex, high-cost automation only to discover late-stage issues that prevent systems from working in real-world conditions. Cherry’s differentiates itself by listening to the customer’s problem, delivering the right stock or custom solution, and staying engaged through implementation to ensure success. Not all partners in the material-handling space take this level of ownership—Cherry’s does.