How Dealer Uses Vertical Lift Module to Deliver Faster Parts, Safer Teams
Waiting for parts was normal at the C & B Operations branch in Culbertson, Mont.
When customers would come in to the parts desk at the John Deere agricultural equipment dealer, they needed to bring their patience with them.
Most customers knew it wasn’t a simple matter of picking their order back in the warehouse. The dealership had outgrown the location they’d been in for almost 80 years, and they were bursting at the seams.
“Parts storage was a very huge challenge for us — we literally had parts stuffed in the rafters of that building,” says Todd Sherman, parts manager at the Culbertson branch. “We were gathering parts from three different locations around town.”
In fact, staff often had to hop in a forklift or pickup truck and drive several blocks to retrieve parts for orders from one of their separate storage facilities.
It was not just customers that had gotten used to waiting around for parts. The branch’s service technicians were also delayed from moving forward with repairs following their diagnostics.
“Our technicians were working in a different spot as well, so we were running parts to them back and forth,” Sherman says. “You really had to plan ahead on everything.”
So when the branch was finally able to build a new facility, better parts storage and inventory retrieval topped their list of issues to address.
Taking Storage to New Heights with a VLM
As the new store’s design plans began to take shape, one innovative parts storage solution rose to the top: a vertical lift module.
A vertical lift module or VLM is an automated storage and retrieval system that can run up to ceiling height with columns of trays that contain parts. With the push of a button or the scan of a barcode, the VLM delivers the desired parts to an operator through an access window at an ergonomic height.
“We went to see one in action at an RDO Equipment store in Billings,” Sherman says. “Until you see one working, it’s hard to wrap your head around it. But once we saw it, we were all in.”
The Culbertson store team worked with the Engineered Solutions group at Burwell Material Handling (formerly C & B Material Handling) to find the right system that worked for them and the new location.
“We’re a Modula dealer, so we worked with them on the size and storage capacity that they needed for all their products that could fit in there,” says Tom Racer, project engineer for Engineered Solutions at Burwell Material Handling.
They went with a Modula VLM that stands nearly 26-ft. tall with 35 trays, each tray capable of holding up to 1,100 lbs. With a footprint of roughly 12 ft. by 14 ft., it is designed to deliver maximum storage in minimal space.
Keeping Parts Moving Safely, Efficiently
When the new Culbertson store opened in late 2024, the VLM quickly became the breakout showpiece of the parts department.
“Everybody is absolutely fascinated with that piece of equipment,” says Mike Kjos, store manager. “The amount of parts that it can hold and the minimal amount of time that it takes to pull down a tray with the parts you need — I’m just thoroughly impressed.”
Now when a customer or technician needs a part, a team member takes the pick ticket, punches what’s needed into the VLM, and the machine brings the desired tray to waist level for easy access. A laser pinpoints the exact part to pick, eliminating guesswork and speeding fulfillment.
“It’s safer and easier on your body,” Sherman says. “Everything is at waist height. No ladders, no lifts.”
Plus, a process that used to take climbing up and down steep, hazardous stairs or traveling across town to locate inventory now happens in nearly an instant.
“From the time you call for the tray and the tray is delivered, it is less than a minute,” Kjos says. “Usually 30 to 40 seconds.”
From bearings to 20-lb. baler components, the VLM stores more than 850 of the Culbertson store’s part numbers, roughly 8-10% of the branch’s total inventory. It has become the go-to for day-to-day orders.
“We’re using that thing constantly all day long,” Sherman says. “It doesn’t sit for more than 10 minutes a day.”
That usage has far exceeded original expectations. Sherman says it’s become so integral to their operation that he wishes his team could use the VLM even more and in closer proximity.
“If we could do it again, I’d put it right behind the parts counter,” he says. “And we’d probably try to add a second one.”
‘Parts Vending Machine’ Brings Buzz … and Results
The team is working towards integrating the VLM further with their software, so that when a parts order comes in, it will automatically load the information into the machine.
In rural northeastern Montana, it’s not just the Culbertson store team that has been impressed with the VLM. The parts storage and inventory machine has actually become the talk of the town.
“We’ve had customers and even high school students come in just to see what they call the ‘parts vending machine,’” Sherman says.
For a small-town dealership with about $4M annually in parts sales, the VLM is helping the Culbertson store process more orders faster, keep their team safer, and serve customers better.
“It was well worth the investment,” Kjos says.
Thinking about upgrading your inventory storage area or parts department? Contact Burwell Material Handling’s Engineered Solutions team to help you find smarter, safer solutions for your space.