Recent Developments in Material Handling at the Western Electric Company’s Merchandise Buildings at Kearny, N. J.

A description is given of the Western Electric Company’s merchandise buildings at Kearny, N. J., their purpose, and the methods used in material handling in these buildings. A thorough study was made of the purpose of these buildings, the type of the material to be handled, and the possible future changes that might be made in the amount of work to be done and the dimension of units handled. Then the warehouse activities were laid out, and a building was designed to enclose them. Approaching the problem in this manner provided unusual design opportunities not generally met, as in most cases equipment has to be fitted into an existing building.