Top Projects of 2025: First Supply Joe Poehling Distribution Innovation Center

The First Supply Joe Poehling Distribution Innovation Center is a 325,289-square-foot logistics facility in West Salem, Wisconsin, delivered by MSI General Corp. through its Single Source Responsibility™ design-build model. Built at a cost of $26 million, the facility serves as a central distribution hub for more than 50 First Supply locations across the Upper Midwest.

The project’s complexity exceeded that of a conventional warehouse build. The facility was engineered around an Exotec automated storage and retrieval system housing more than 52,000 totes and supported by 31 autonomous robots — requiring precision slab tolerances, structural alignment and coordinated power distribution that left little margin for error. Installation of 215 precast wall panels, 42 dock positions and 12,700 selective pallet rack locations added further technical demand.

Overcoming those challenges required disciplined collaboration among First Supply leadership, automation vendors and trade partners through weekly coordination meetings that enabled real-time decision-making and early conflict resolution.

The outcomes are significant. The facility’s 1,150 rooftop solar panels — the largest array in La Crosse County — generate 50 to 70 percent of daily energy demand. The building strengthens regional supply chain reliability, supports job creation and workforce development in La Crosse County, and is designed to double in size as First Supply grows. Named in honor of Chairman Emeritus Joe Poehling, it represents a generational investment for the 128-year-old Wisconsin company.

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