Joint deployment at Del Papa Distributing closes the loop on highly automated beverage distribution warehouse automation
LOUISVILLE, KY — Lantech, the world leader in stretch wrapping technology, and Block One Automation, a robotics integrator specializing in automated pallet-building for wholesale beverage distribution, today announced a joint deployment at Del Papa Distributing, set to go live in Summer 2026.
The project brings together Block One’s Pallet Factory™ — pallet in, pallet out, lights out automation — with Lantech’s SL400AMR Stretch Wrapper to deliver on the simplest possible promise: supplier pallet in, customer order out, stretch wrapped and ready for the dock.
The Pallet Factory, Complete
Block One built the Pallet Factory concept around a single idea: a beverage distributor receives product from suppliers and builds orders on pallets for retailers. Everything in between — receiving, storage, picking, palletization — can be done by robots.
Until now, stretch wrapping was the end of the automation flow.
In this deployment, an AMR transports each completed customer order pallet directly to Lantech’s SL400AMR Stretch Wrapper. The wrapper completes the wrap cycle without operator involvement during normal automatic operation, then signals the AMR system that the load is ready for pickup. The Pallet Factory now completes work with wrapped pallets ready for delivery.
Block One is providing system integration and AMR deployment. Lantech is supplying the SL400AMR Stretch Wrapper, engineered to interface with AMR-driven workflows and support unattended wrapping within an integrated material-flow system.
Built for the Way Beverage Distribution Actually Works
Wholesale beverage distribution is a high-SKU, high-complexity environment. Distributors build mixed-case orders for retailers like Kroger, Costco, and Walmart — each pallet a unique combination of products, each one needing to ship protected and retail-ready.
Block One’s system handles that complexity. Robot arms manage the high-volume SKUs. Dense case storage handles the long tail. AMRs move product throughout the system. The robot, as Block One puts it, is the human in the middle. Lantech puts the cherry on top.
A Model for the Industry
For system integrators designing fully automated distribution centers, this deployment demonstrates that end-of-line stretch wrapping no longer has to be the exception. The SL400AMR is designed to work within AMR-driven workflows — accepting pallet loads, completing the wrap cycle, and signaling the AMR system that the load is wrapped without manual intervention.
“We built the SL400AMR to fit into systems like this — so when a partner like Block One comes along with a complete solution, it just works. That’s what customers actually need. We’re really glad to be part of what Block One is building for beverage distribution,” said Jim Lancaster, CEO of Lantech.
“Stretch wrapping was the last manual step standing between us and lights-out automation. With Lantech’s SL400AMR in the loop, the Pallet Factory delivers on its original promise. Pallet in, pallet out, fully unattended. A beverage distributor can receive a supplier pallet, build every customer order, and send it to the dock wrapped and ready without a single human touch,” said Jonathan O’Neil, Founder, Block One Automation.
Lantech and Block One are making this collaboration public because they believe it is a model worth repeating. Both companies are open to discussing similar deployments with integrators and distributors looking to complete their automation story. Learn more at lantech.com and blockone.com.
About Lantech
In 1972 Lantech made an impact on the world by inventing the stretch wrapper and changing the way companies package and protect their products for shipment. Now, billions of pallet loads are stretch wrapped every year. Today we build a full line of case and tray handling, stretch wrapping, and pallet conveying equipment, with manufacturing facilities in the United States and the Netherlands, and sales and technical support worldwide. Over the years our business has been built on innovation, customer support and the mission to dramatically reduce shipping damage globally. lantech.com
About Block One
Block One is a niche-focused robotics integrator specializing in automated pallet-building for wholesale beverage distribution. Their Pallet Factory™ system uses robotic arms, AMRs, and dense case storage to automate mixed case palletization — fully unattended, from supplier pallet in to customer order out. Block One serves the ~5,600 wholesale beverage distributors across North America who supply retailers with the products consumers expect on shelves. blockone.com
Media Contact — Lantech: Alex Seibert | [email protected]
Media Contact — Block One: Travis Lee | [email protected]
