Live from WERC: The Future of Warehouse Distribution, Technology, and Workforce Innovation

The New Warehouse Podcast comes to you live from the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) conference in New Orleans, featuring a conversation with Glen Wegel, Vice President of Operations and IT at Kitchen Cabinet Distributors (KCD). Glen shares insights into KCD’s rapid growth, how the company balances technology with operations, and his perspective on the future of the warehousing workforce. He also reflects on the unique role WERC plays as a space for idea-sharing and collaboration in the logistics industry.

Scaling Warehouse Distribution to Meet Customer Demand

Kitchen Cabinet Distributors began as a small family business in Knightdale, North Carolina, before expanding into a nearly one-million-square-foot network of four facilities across the U.S. Today, the company provides ready-to-assemble and pre-assembled cabinets to builders, remodelers, and distributors. As Glen explained, speed is at the heart of KCD’s value: “We ship within 48 hours. So it’s a very fast turnaround… it gets out to the customer in a very quick fashion, and they can do what they need to do to complete the install.”

This rapid fulfillment not only helps customers complete projects faster but also improves their cash cycle by reducing the time inventory ties up working capital. With appearances on HGTV’s Property Brothers, installations for celebrity kitchens, and custom projects like magician Criss Angel’s Las Vegas VIP space, KCD has scaled while keeping a focus on precision and quality.

Balancing IT and Operations for Smarter Warehouses

Glen leads both operations and IT at KCD—a pairing that allows technology decisions to align closely with business needs. He described the importance of questioning old processes and embracing innovation: “If your system worked five years ago, but you’ve grown 25% a year since then, you have to be able to take a look back and say, is the system performing the way that I want it to?”

This mindset has guided KCD’s adoption of tools that increase efficiency and safety. From wearables to dynamic slotting models, Glen emphasized the importance of designing processes around real operational and warehouse distribution needs. For example, picking paths are optimized not just for velocity but for complete kitchen orders, ensuring cabinets are handled in sequence and staged for quality control. Ergonomic solutions, such as adjustable assembly tables and the ErgoStrap system, have reduced strain while cutting pallet-strapping times from five minutes to under a minute.

Rethinking the Workforce at WERC

Beyond technology, Glen is deeply engaged in workforce conversations through his role as Secretary of the WERC Advisory Board. At the conference, he noted, sessions ranged from KPI optimization to AI integration in demand planning and labor management. One panel on workforce demographics underscored the urgency of tapping underutilized talent pools. “If we’re going to exit 400 million people from the workforce over a period of 10 years, there’s not another 400 million behind them to backflow,” Glen explained.

Discussions explored employing individuals with disabilities, partnering with re-entry programs for those with criminal records, and leveraging innovations like haptic forklift controls to create safer environments. Glen reflected on his own experience hiring from halfway house programs: “They were some of the best folks… people will interview them and exclude them without saying it out loud, which is sad.” These insights highlight how expanding recruitment strategies can help close labor gaps while giving overlooked groups valuable opportunities.

Key Takeaways on Warehouse Distribution

• Kitchen Cabinet Distributors has grown from a single facility to nearly one million square feet while maintaining 48-hour shipping capabilities.
• Technology and operations alignment is crucial—processes and systems must evolve alongside growth.
• Ergonomic tools and intentional warehouse design reduce strain, improve accuracy, and cut processing times.
• WERC provides a unique, non-sales environment for practitioners to exchange ideas and explore innovations.
• Workforce challenges demand creative approaches, including recruiting from underrepresented groups and leveraging adaptive technologies.

Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Guest Information

For more information on Kitchen Cabinet Distributors, click here.

To connect with Glen Wegel on LinkedIn, click here.

For more insights from WERC 2025 beyond warehouse distribution, check out the podcasts below. 

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