Autonomous Industrial Trucks: Automation as a Growth Booster in Established Structures Where there is a will, there is a way, as the saying goes. The truth in this adage is demonstrated by the example of ABS Safety GmbH. With the firm intent to produce high-quality and reliable fall protection systems for the roofing trade, Ludwig and Ingrid Beckers founded the company in their home basement in 2003. In the following years, this "start-up" experienced an impressive rise. As of today, ABS Safety employs over 200 people and is considered a top name in the fields of fall protection, climbing technology, and more. The company showed the same zeal when a comprehensive expansion of logistics became necessary at the current headquarters in Kevelaer. "The new automated warehouse with 40 autonomous robots was to be developed in a former greenhouse facility; an unusual project - and thus typical for our company ABS Safety," states Managing Director Kai Brendel. The company is growing – and the logistics must follow suit From the beginning: Since 2006, ABS Safety has been developing and manufacturing not far from the German-Dutch border. "In 2015, we more than doubled our storage and production capacities with a new building," reports Managing Director Brendel. However, the enormous growth of the company required more space shortly thereafter. "Fortunately, we were able to acquire an existing property that is strategically well-located between production and shipping." The catch: it was a former nursery with relatively flat greenhouses on a very expansive area. Not exactly ideal conditions for logistical realignment. "At that time, we calculated back and forth whether demolition and new construction would be more economical," the managing director recalls. Eventually, they finally turned to the topic of automation. ```Brendel: "For us as an innovation-driven company, this was very appealing since the technology