Cochrane Shops' New Stores

Here we see the 2 story Stores area at Cochrane Shops

On April 6, 2019 I was able to check out Cochrane Shops' new Stores addition which was built over the late summer and early fall of 2018.

To sum it all up in one word, this new addition to the Shops is "spacious". Space is of course an absolute necessity when it comes to storing parts and supplies for a busy place like Cochrane Shops and this new 2 story addition utilizes that space perfectly.

One feature that I found interesting about this new addition to the Shops is that instead of
installing a lift in order to move parts and  supplies to the second level, a forklift is used to not only to unload pallets of parts and supplies from the many shipping companies that deliver here, but also lifts heavier bulk items to the second level. If you look at the photo on the top left, you'll see the in-house forklift and the gates that are built in to the second level handrails for loading and unloading from the forklift.

On the first floor is the counter where items are marked down and accounted for and a full network of shelves for stocking all of the smaller items that can be easily accessed throughout a busy day.

The lighting in this new addition is very bright which is also a huge plus in regards to employee safety.

As responsibilities increase at Cochrane Shops, it's encouraging to see Ontario Northland take the initiative and build a fully functional and spacious Stores to not only house what is needed in order for the Shops to function today, but to ensure that there's ample space for any other responsibilities the Shops could be tackling in the future.

Here is a look at the 2nd level of the new Stores. As you can see, there's plenty of room for storage.

Great job all!

Mike