FORTNA has partnered with Hai Robotics to integrate the HaiPick automated storage and retrieval system, including the latest HaiPick Climb, into its warehouse automation portfolio. The collaboration aims to deliver flexible, retrofit-friendly solutions that enhance storage density, picking efficiency, and operational speed without major infrastructure changes.
Automation Without the Overhead: A Practical Shift in AS/RS Deployment
FORTNA, the logistics automation specialist known for its consultative approach to warehouse design and operations, has announced a new partnership with Hai Robotics, a key player in intelligent warehouse automation. The alliance brings Hai Robotics’ full HaiPick portfolio, including the recently launched HaiPick Climb system, under the FORTNA umbrella – strengthening its ability to address increasingly complex warehouse challenges.
Unlike traditional aisle-based AS/RS systems, the HaiPick Climb robot operates by attaching to one side of existing racking, offering dual-aisle access and reducing installation time and costs. Its ability to function in narrow aisles, adapt to a wide range of product sizes, and retrofit into current infrastructure makes it particularly attractive for distribution centers looking to scale without tearing down or rebuilding.
“We’re focused on improving operations through intelligent, tailored automation,” said Rob McKeel, CEO of FORTNA in an official statement. “Our partnership with Hai Robotics allows us to offer flexible solutions for fulfillment centers under pressure to do more, faster without the budget or space for full-scale redesigns.”
With real-world demonstrations at LogiMAT and ProMat earlier this year, the partnership isn’t just conceptual, it’s implementation-ready. This collaboration significantly widens FORTNA’s addressable market, particularly among e-commerce and omnichannel operations needing fast, scalable upgrades to storage and picking performance.
Reducing Time to Value, Expanding Automation Access
For operations and supply chain leaders, the most pressing challenge isn’t whether to automate, it’s how to do it efficiently, affordably, and without long-term disruption. That’s where this partnership is particularly relevant. By removing the need for purpose-built structures and long installation timelines, the HaiPick Climb opens the door to automation for mid-sized and legacy facilities.
Hai Robotics’ systems are also highly configurable, allowing businesses to scale capacity or reconfigure layouts as demand evolves. This aligns with FORTNA’s ongoing commitment to designing customer-centric systems that can adjust to changing SKU profiles, labor pressures, and throughput needs.
“AS/RS solutions are evolving to meet the dynamic nature of modern fulfillment,” said Ron Egan, VP at FORTNA. “The HaiPick Climb gives us a new tool to accelerate time to value while still delivering productivity and efficiency gains that matter.”
Richie Chen, CEO of Hai Robotics, echoed that sentiment, citing FORTNA’s trusted role in the market as a major driver for the partnership. “Together, we can help businesses adapt to growing operational complexity with solutions that are fast to deploy and easy to scale.”
Progress Through Practicality
The FORTNA and Hai Robotics partnership reflects a broader and necessary recalibration in the warehouse automation landscape, one that favors incremental gains over sweeping transformation. As fulfillment demands intensify and space becomes more constrained, solutions that enhance existing operations without imposing significant structural change are becoming not just desirable, but essential.
