Who: Southern Lakes ITM Cromwell
Where: Cromwell, New Zealand
Background:
Southern Lakes ITM, owned by Paul Piebenga, operates branches across Alexandra, Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell. Since establishing their presence in Central Otago in 2008, the business has continued to invest in infrastructure to improve efficiency and customer experience. After discovering Stackit during the initial Cromwell store fitout, the relationship has grown through multiple projects across the Southern Lakes network.
Challenge:
With ongoing growth and demand, the Cromwell branch needed a large-scale, weather-protected storage solution that could:
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Handle increased stock volumes.
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Improve truck turnaround times.
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Provide a safer, more efficient working environment for staff.
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Enhance the overall customer experience.
Solution:
Southern Lakes ITM identified Stackit’s Integrated Rack Structure (IRS) as the ideal answer. The first IRS was installed at the Wanaka store, followed by a major installation at Cromwell, which has recently been extended to more than double its original size and capacity.
The complete Cromwell IRS system includes:
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4 rows of heavy-duty cantilever racking
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3 internal drive-through aisles
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Approx. 1630m² of covered storage
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Capacity for over 200 packs of 6m timber
Results:
The IRS has transformed Cromwell’s yard operations and delivered lasting benefits:
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Improved efficiency: Faster truck turnaround and smoother forklift access.
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Stock protection: Covered storage reduces product damage and wastage.
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Better working environment: Staff reliability and performance increased thanks to improved conditions.
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Customer satisfaction: Enhanced service speed and consistency keeps customers coming back.
Paul Piebenga praised the quick turnaround from Stackit on engineering, pricing, and installation, and highlighted the robustness of the IRS system as a long-term investment in customer experience.
Products Specified:
