Respect, Empowerment, and Innovation: How Netrush Is Revolutionizing Warehouse Work

As the CEO of Netrush, I’m always looking for ways to grow the business. And what I’ve learned over the years is that at the heart of business growth is one simple thing: understanding what your customers and employees care about.

I learned this a long time ago from my father, who ran a Caterpillar distribution center for the majority of his working life. I’ve never forgotten his approach to managing a warehouse: respect everyone there, know everyone’s name, know that they want to be seen, know that they’re competitive, know that they know their job better than you ever will, and listen to everything they have to say.

Netrush has a state-of-the-art distribution center and team in Kentucky. Recently, I paid a visit and sat down with eight impressive individuals who are instrumental in making the facility a well-oiled machine. While it was great to speak with everyone, two meetings in particular stand out.

One meeting was with a young man who said he worked at other warehouses in the area—and there is a sea of them in that part of the country—before joining Netrush, but is glad he found us because “everyone here cares about me as a human,” he said. “I’m not just a cog in the machine. I’m empowered.”

The other meeting was with a woman who said when gas prices were soaring it was taking a financial toll on her to go to work. So, she went to her manager with an idea: work four 10-hour shifts instead of five eight-hour days. That mattered to her because it meant that money could instead go toward something she valued more than anything: her family.

I loved hearing these stories because they reinforced what my father always told me and what I’ve since trusted in as well, which is that if you foster an environment of positivity and inclusivity then you’re breeding something really powerful and unique: loyalty. At the end of the day, loyalty matters to a business more than anything else. If people are happy where they are, they not only stay, but they do better work, they support one another, and everyone benefits.

That’s the kind of atmosphere we’re cultivating at Netrush. Our latest initiative on this front—a partnership with Brightpick —is testament to that. The AI-obsessed company is in the process of outfitting our warehouse with autonomous robots that will alleviate many of the physical demands that traditionally have come with order picking and fulfillment.

Sure, automating certain tasks will reduce costs. And it will make operations more efficient. That’s the beauty of innovation, which has always been a big part of the Netrush ethos. But make no mistake, the driving force is in putting our greatest asset—our people—in an even better position to succeed, and making the warehouse a place they want to spend a good portion of their waking hours. The rest takes care of itself.

(This article also appears on the Netrush blog—Netrush Insights. Check it out .)