What started as a 40,000 sq. ft. empty box is now a maze of multilayered conveyors and “mods” where employees sort and pack merchandise for distribution to the various Kohl’s retail stores around the country. Of the nine Kohl’s distribution centers, this Findlay, Ohio location needed a way to help the HVAC system distribute the air throughout the space so the employees on the line were more comfortable.
Hot Problems. Despite having air conditioning in Kohl’s Findlay, Ohio distribution center, the multilevel maze of conveyor belts prevented cool air from reaching all the employees in the 40,000 square foot facility. Heat conducted by the equipment didn’t help matters either. On a busy summer day, with temperatures reaching triple digits and the air conditioning working beyond full capacity, keeping the 300 employees comfortable proved challenging. Considering the conveyor system occupies 15 feet of the 30 foot high space, ceiling fans were not an option.
Sweet Solution. Fifty-four SweatBee™ 18-in. wall-mounted fans from the Big Ass Fan Company®
Cool Results. This arrangement of fans help circulate the air from the HVAC system, benefiting all employees on the line. With the ability to swivel the fans, workers can direct the fans to suit their needs, further increasing their comfort. In addition, the unobtrusive operation of the SweatBees allows workers to communicate and continue the flow of business conversation without having to shout.
“The feedback from the employees where the SweatBees are installed has been wonderful,” said David Haney, assistant maintenance manager. “They’re not noisy, and they can swivel them to either blow directly on them or away depending on individual comfort needs. They all like them.”
The 30-foot high space is split by a mezzanine. The conveyors are supported by columns and cross beams that run across at the 15-foot high level. This layout negates the ability to install ceiling fans to help circulate air to the occupants and the added heat put off from the conveyor system itself just added to the problem. To keep the peace, 54 SweatBee™ 18 fans from the Big Ass Fan Company® were installed to replace numerous noisy, ineffective fans simply spinning nonsense.
The SweatBee which comes in an 18- or 30-in. diameter packs a big punch in a small package, burrowing its way into tight spaces in need of airflow. “Not every place gets all the AC that it needs,” said David Haney, assistant maintenance manager, especially given the configuration of the building. The SweatBee 18-in. fans were column mounted at the employee level, allowing them “the ability to turn the fans slightly to the left or to the right, to either blow directly on them or away depending on individual comfort needs” he added.
Wall or ceiling mounted, SweatBee has infinite cooling positions. From its 360° swivel and 40° tilt, workers can direct the fans exactly where they need air movement. Additional uses include clearing smoke and fumes or keeping pesky insects away. Handcrafted in the USA, SweatBee uses 11-gauge steel housing for long-term durability and reliability along with OSHA compliant spiral guards for extra security from facility mishaps. In addition, the unobtrusive operation of the fans allows workers to communicate and continue the flow of business conversation. “They no longer have to shout at one another to be heard,” said Haney.
