Warehouse Automation Powers Faster Fulfillment for Candle Manufacturer

Founded in 1998 in Liberty, Kentucky, Goose Creek Candle Company has grown from a small candle-making operation into a nationally recognized home fragrance manufacturer. With online sales accelerating year after year, the company found it increasingly difficult to fulfill rising order volumes using the manual processes they’d long relied on. Traditionally, associates walked long distances throughout each shift to pick and process orders, while palletizing and other end-of-line tasks placed additional physical demands on employees. 

To address this, Goose Creek Candle Company partnered with FANUC Authorized System Integrator CRG Automation to develop a scalable fulfillment system designed to increase throughput while optimizing labor utilization. 

The project began with improvements to pick lines and case-directing systems before expanding to end-of-line pack out, case sealing and FANUC robotic palletizing. During the evaluation process, robotic palletizing was identified as a particularly strong automation opportunity because of the repetitive and ergonomically challenging nature of the task. 

The resulting system automatically routes cases to the appropriate fulfillment zones, streamlines material flow throughout the facility and uses a FANUC M-410 palletizing robot to efficiently handle finished products. 

By automating key areas of its fulfillment operation, Goose Creek significantly increased throughput while maintaining the same workforce levels. Operational efficiency improved immediately, allowing the company to better support customer demand and position itself for future growth. The project delivered measurable productivity gains during each implementation phase. Phase one generated more than 40% efficiency improvement, while the addition of robotic palletizing delivered an additional 15% to 20% increase through improved labor utilization. 

Employees also benefited from reduced physical demands. Automated material flow cut walking distances dramatically, while robotic palletizing eliminated repetitive lifting and handling tasks. The improvements contributed to a safer, more sustainable work environment and helped support employee retention efforts. 

Today, Goose Creek is better equipped to meet customer demand, improve operational efficiency and support long-term expansion with automation as a core part of its fulfillment strategy. 

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If you're considering automation, I would pull the lever sooner rather than later. It made a difference right off the bat.

Aaran Taylor Director of Fulfilment – Goose Creek Candle Company