The Transformation of the Warehouse, with CEO, Andy Marsh

Andy Marsh was recently interviewed on “The New Warehouse” podcast, hosted by Kevin Lawton, who features professionals actively involved in the distribution, logistics, and transportation industries. Kevin strives to educate and share ideas about warehousing and the future of this continuously growing industry. In episode 17, “Andy Marsh of Plug Power,” he and Kevin discuss hydrogen fuel cell technology—from implementation to it’s global benefits, both economically and environmentally. 

Plug Power has been on the forefront of innovation, providing companies with clean technology-based warehouse solutions that continue to drive companies’ operations into the future through increases in productivity and efficiency. Andy and Kevin discuss the current trends in the warehouse industry, while looking ahead to last-mile delivery and future applications for small robotics and drones within the industry. Here are just 3 of the many great snippets from the episode:

Why would anyone replace a lead acid battery with hydrogen fuel cells? 

“The bottom line is, when you look at a typical distribution center, you can have 8-10% percent more productivity, and that is why people like Walmart and Amazon, as well as manufacturers like BMW, are using hydrogen fuel cells.”

What do you see as the trends and the future of this industry?

“Big commitments from global companies to make sure they have a clean footprint for the future. I think they view their customers are going to insist upon it. Even if our own government hasn’t been that supportive of the power accord, a lot of the large companies in the U.S. are very supportive. You see companies like Amazon come out with some strong sustainability goals as well as Walmart, and I think that is a trend.”

“In the future warehouse, I think there will be a much higher level of automation. I think devices are often powered by hydrogen because of longer run time. I had a recent acquisition announced this week (EnergyOr) which is a company that is focused primarily on drones, but we thought their technology was really applicable to robots in the warehouse and that’s why we made that acquisition.”

Is there anything else we should know about Plug Power and the hydrogen fuel cell industry?

“I see the momentum and the customer enthusiasm, and I can see more and more new applications coming into play where fuel cells can make sense. I found that over the last year or two, the momentum for Plug Power and the momentum for this industry and technology is completely different than it was 10 years ago, so it’s a good time to be in the fuel cell space.”

To learn more, listen to the episode here, or find it on your favorite podcast player, available on Apple podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more!