First Supply Distribution Center

Location: West Salem, Wisconsin

Areas of Expertise: Fire Protection

Hooper’s Fire Protection team completed a complex installation at First Supply’s 308,000-square-foot Distribution Center in West Salem, Wisconsin. The highly automated facility uses robotics to optimize order processing and inventory management for customers across the Midwest.

Hooper installed a new fire pump, eight wet pipe sprinkler systems for overhead storage, two wet in-rack sprinkler systems, and a clean agent system. A key challenge was integrating the in-rack sprinklers within the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS)—a robotics-driven design with narrow aisles and tall racks. Sprinklers had to be precisely positioned inside the racking to ensure safety and system performance without disrupting automation.

Installation required tight coordination as Hooper’s crews worked alongside AS/RS rack construction. Careful planning, prefabrication, and real-time adjustments kept the project on schedule. The team also overcame challenges by working with a foreign rack manufacturer, managing language barriers, time zone differences, and metric-to-standard conversions.

Through collaboration and technical expertise, Hooper delivered a fully integrated fire protection system that met all safety and performance standards—demonstrating the team’s ability to execute complex, high-precision projects for cutting-edge industrial facilities.