History

Power Automation Systems

Power Automation Systems is a solutions-based company specializing in the design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of customer specific automated pallet storage and transportation systems.

We offer highly customizable, flexible systems and solutions capable of working in any environment including ambient, refrigerated and frozen storage facilities to companies that produce and/or distribute large amounts of products in any market.

The owner and founder of Power Automation Systems– Pat Mitchell, began the company out of necessity. After much deliberation and research into automated storage and retrieval systems capable of meeting the needs of his company– California Natural Products, Mr. Mitchell was left wanting more.

Always the innovator, Pat undertook the conceptualization of a system that met the needs of his own business– a solution to CNP’s problem that was effective, efficient and adaptable allowing high volume, high-density storage for a broad range of aseptically packaged food products at a price that he could afford. That solution was PowerStor™, PowerStage™ and PowerWCS™.

PowerStor maximizes the usable space of a warehouse by allowing pallets to be stacked higher vertically via an ironclad racking structure while minimizing the space occupied by functional components of the storage and retrieval system. The simple and elegant concept utilizes redundant modular components that require less maintenance than other automated storage systems on the market and decrease the product loss incurred by traditional forklift operated warehouses.

PAS is dedicated to having the highest level of customer satisfaction in the market and continuously invests heavily in research and development to improve our systems to include today’s cutting edge technologies.

California Natural Products

Power Automation Systems parent company, California Natural Products (CNP), develops and manufactures unique, high quality rice based ingredients for the food industry. Applying advanced technology to develop processes and products that are compatible with the environment and that compliment the growing trends towards natural, whole foods.

With the ingredients side of the business booming, California Natural Products started with Aseptic Co-Packing in 1994. The facility was built from the ground up with quality and the best available technology as the foundation.

Steadily growing over the next 6 years, CNP's production capability soon outweighed their warehousing and distribution capability which at the time was handled with conventional fork lifts.

The need for automation was apparent but the automated storage and retrieval system that could handle the current need and adapt to the projected growth of the company remained elusive.

With two years invested in the research of an automated storage and retrieval system that could meet their demand, CNP was left with the following needs:

• Lower cost per pallet automated storage.
• More pallet moves per hour.
• Increased use of available square footage in their warehouse / distribution center.
• 100% access to 100% of their products, 100% of the time.
• Less downtime.
• Simpler maintenance.
• Cheaper, easier to find spare parts.
• The ability to stage trucks without error.

Certain no stone was left unturned in the search for the AS/RS capable enough for CNP, Power Automation Systems was born with the conception of PowerStor™ and PowerStage™. From 2000 until 2005 the systems were in development, ever evolving and ever improving, CNP's rapid expansion proved to be the perfect testing grounds for what has become the first High Density Rapid Staging System.