The Stevens Company Brings Robotics to Manitoba's Healthcare Supply Chain

WINNIPEG, MB – October 14, 2026 – The intersection of advanced robotics and critical healthcare infrastructure has reached a new milestone in Western Canada. The Stevens Company Limited, a stalwart in medical and laboratory supply distribution, has officially commenced operations at its new 44,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Winnipeg. Moving from its previous 33,000-square-foot location, the expansion is designed to meet surging demand across regional healthcare networks and specialty laboratories. Crucially, the site at 1 - 155 Haggart Ave houses Manitoba's first AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) implemented specifically within a healthcare distribution environment.

For institutional investors and market analysts monitoring the modernization of supply chains, this development signals a critical shift. Legacy distributors are increasingly leveraging high-density automation to safeguard clinical inventories against disruptions, optimize real estate footprints, and dramatically accelerate fulfillment speeds. The integration of warehouse robotics into local medical distribution represents a necessary evolution in an industry where order accuracy and turnaround times directly impact patient care.

Automating the Medical Supply Chain

The centerpiece of the new Winnipeg facility, which became fully operational on September 14, is the 1,600-square-foot AutoStore system. While automated micro-fulfillment centers have become relatively common in retail and e-commerce logistics, their deployment in the highly regulated medical distribution sector is still an emerging trend.

The AutoStore technology utilizes a high-density, modular aluminum grid that allows for the vertical stacking of inventory bins, effectively eliminating the need for traditional warehouse aisles. Autonomous robots travel across the top of this grid to dig, collect, and deliver bins to ergonomic workstations, or ports, where human operators finalize the orders. This system typically reduces a facility's storage footprint by up to 75 percent, allowing the cubic design to store up to four times the inventory in the same physical space.

For a healthcare distributor, this spatial efficiency is transformative. The new Winnipeg site features 42,000 square feet of dedicated warehouse space and 2,000 square feet of office space. By condensing a significant portion of their inventory into the 1,600-square-foot AutoStore grid, the company can vastly increase its inventory depth and broaden its product offerings without requiring a massive, sprawling real estate footprint.

Furthermore, the operational metrics associated with this technology are striking. AutoStore systems consistently deliver picking accuracy rates exceeding 99 percent, a critical metric when handling sensitive medical and laboratory supplies. Picking speeds can be up to ten times faster than traditional manual methods. The robots themselves are highly energy-efficient, with ten units consuming approximately the same amount of power as a single 100-watt vacuum cleaner, and they are capable of charging autonomously during operational downtime.

Legacy Meets Innovation: A 196-Year-Old Distributor Adapts

The adoption of cutting-edge robotics by a nearly two-century-old company highlights a broader trend of legacy enterprises adapting to modern market pressures. Founded in London, England, in 1830, The Stevens Company is a 100 percent Canadian-owned entity that has been operated by six generations of the Stevens family. Today, it maintains facilities across major Canadian hubs, including Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Brampton, Montreal, and Halifax.

"This investment reflects Stevens' commitment to supporting our healthcare and manufacturing partners with greater reliability and scale," said Jay Stevens, president of The Stevens Company, in a recent statement. "By bringing AutoStore technology to Manitoba, we are ensuring our local customers receive unmatched service efficiency."

The Winnipeg installation is not the company's first foray into advanced warehouse automation. The distributor previously partnered with Toyota Automated Logistics to implement an AutoStore system at its Brampton, Ontario, facility. That earlier integration serves as a powerful proof of concept; the Brampton site saw its storage capacity increase by 25 percent within the exact same footprint and doubled its throughput on peak days. During seasonal surges, the automated system achieved up to ten times the legacy throughput, ultimately managing 78 percent of the facility's total items.

By replicating this technological success in Western Canada, the distributor is actively future-proofing its operations against both international competitors and unpredictable global supply chain dynamics. In an era where supply chain resilience is paramount, maximizing domestic storage capacity and gaining total visibility over inventory allows distributors to mitigate the risks associated with volatile international trade routes.

The Economics of High-Tech Logistics

From an investment perspective, the underlying technology driving this expansion is backed by significant capital. AutoStore Holdings has experienced massive growth in recent years, highlighted by SoftBank's $2.8 billion acquisition of a 40 percent stake in 2021, which valued the robotics firm at $7.7 billion. AutoStore's subsequent listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange marked Norway's largest initial public offering in two decades. The proliferation of these systems across specialized sectors like healthcare underscores the robust demand for scalable automation solutions.

The economic influence of this new facility extends directly into the regional market. Winnipeg has long served as a crucial logistics and transportation hub for the Canadian Prairies. The medical distribution sector within the region is highly competitive; for instance, industry giant McKesson Canada operates a massive 125,000-square-foot distribution center in Winnipeg that processes up to 100,000 medication units nightly. To compete with such massive scale, specialized distributors must leverage technology to punch above their weight class.

While the introduction of robotics often sparks conversations about job displacement, industry experts suggest a more nuanced reality. The integration of AutoStore systems is generally aimed at increasing productivity per employee rather than enacting wholesale workforce reductions. The technology allows human staff and robots to work side-by-side, handling the new normal of high-throughput fulfillment without overwhelming the workforce.

Moreover, the logistical enhancements at the Winnipeg facility include an expanded fleet of dedicated delivery trucks. This expansion is designed to increase delivery frequency and service reliability throughout Manitoba, which will inherently drive local job creation in the transportation and logistics sectors. By speeding up internal fulfillment, the company requires a more robust external delivery network to move products from the warehouse to hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.

A Blueprint for Future Healthcare Infrastructure

As healthcare providers continue to face pressures related to cost, efficiency, and supply availability, the infrastructure supporting them must evolve. The transition from traditional pallet-and-rack warehouses to high-density, robotically managed fulfillment centers represents the new standard for medical logistics.

To showcase this operational leap, The Stevens Company is hosting an Open House and Grand Opening event on Monday, October 19, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The event will offer customers, suppliers, and media representatives a guided walkthrough of the new facility and a firsthand look at the AutoStore system in action. Members of the executive leadership team and Western regional contacts will be on-site to discuss the strategic importance of the expansion.

By bringing warehouse robotics to Manitoba's clinical supply chain, the region is taking a definitive step toward a more resilient and responsive healthcare system. As automation continues to penetrate specialized distribution networks, the ripple effects will be felt not just in improved warehouse metrics, but in the reliable, daily delivery of essential medical supplies to the front lines of patient care.