Dental City Wins Supply Chain Excellence Award for Best Use of Robotics with Locus Robotics
Dental City, a leading U.S. distributor of dental supplies, has been recognized with the Best Use of Robotics award at the Supply Chain Excellence Awards USA, held in Miami during the IntralogisteX conference. The honor highlights the company’s successful transformation of its warehouse operations through its partnership with Locus Robotics, a global leader in AI-powered mobile warehouse automation.
The judging panel commended Dental City for its innovative adoption of Locus’s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which more than doubled fulfillment productivity while also improving employee safety and job satisfaction.
“Robotics helped us grow smarter, faster, and more competitively—without expanding our footprint,” said John Mathys, President of Dental City. “This award is a reflection of our team’s forward-thinking mindset and our strong collaboration with Locus Robotics. Together, we’re creating better experiences for both employees and customers.”
Dental City launched its robotics journey in 2024 to address rising order volumes and labor shortages. Previously, manual cart picking limited workers to 250–300 picks daily across its 40,000-square-foot facility. By integrating Locus AMRs with its Infios warehouse management system, the company achieved:
- 2x–3x productivity gains (750–800 picks/day versus 250–300)
- Same-day order fulfillment for purchases made by 4 PM
- 2-day delivery nationwide
- Full ROI within 12 months
“Dental City demonstrates how mid-sized distributors can achieve enterprise-grade performance through robotics,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Their success story shows the power of AI-driven automation to boost efficiency, empower employees, and deliver exceptional customer service. We are proud to partner with them and celebrate this achievement.”
In addition to efficiency gains, the deployment has enhanced workplace safety and morale. Employees now collaborate with “smart robots” instead of pushing heavy 200-pound carts, reducing fatigue while opening opportunities for new roles and skill development.
This recognition underscores Dental City’s leadership in healthcare supply distribution and showcases the transformative role of collaborative robotics in today’s supply chain operations.