In a sprawling 500,000-square-foot warehouse near Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, towers of outdoor gear stretch toward 45-foot ceilings. Deer stands, bows, trail cameras and camping accessories, hunting and fishing products are piled so high they leave barely three feet of clearance to the roof. For GSM Outdoors Chief Information Officer Anbu Kuppusamy, this impressive sight represented both the company's remarkable growth and its biggest operational headache.
GSM Outdoors built a hunting and outdoor gear empire one brand at a time. This privately held company, founded in 2003, has grown into a billion-dollar holding company that houses over 50 outdoor brands. GSM supplies major retailers like Amazon, Academy and Bass Pro Shops, driving double-digit growth and furthering its mission to become the world's leading outdoor sports company.
Success brings its challenges, however. The towering inventory created connectivity dead zones that threatened to derail warehouse operations. When traditional networking solutions couldn't penetrate the maze of stacked products, Kuppusamy turned to longtime partner Verizon for help.
Signal interference derails warehouse productivity
The unique design of the GSM Outdoors warehouse unintentionally created a connectivity nightmare. Stacks of products reached the ceiling, and aisles created narrow tunnels between metal shelves. As a result, traditional Wi-Fi access points didn't function properly.
"The access points were not fully used because they were blocked," Kuppusamy said. The long tunnels in the middle aisle section were not getting signals at all.
The facility's proximity to DFW Airport further compounded this problem by introducing both regulatory restrictions and signal interference. These connectivity gaps impacted the functionality of the Zebra handheld scanners used by GSM's warehouse teams for picking and shipping, threatening critical shipments to retail partners.
"The picking was not fully completed because of the signal strength," Kuppusamy explained. "So, it dropped off. It was very, very painful."
Workers had to interrupt their scanning and physically relocate to different warehouse zones, sometimes walking significant distances just to reestablish connectivity. The constant disruptions turned routine inventory management into a time-consuming process of trial and error. During GSM's peak season—June through October—failed purchase orders and incomplete pick lists became productivity killers.
Private Wireless Network breaks through signal barriers
When extenders and other traditional fixes faltered, Verizon proposed a new solution: a Verizon Private Wireless Network using Celona CBRS LTE technology. Towering inventory easily blocked Wi-Fi access points, but the private wireless network's powerful antennas delivered superior signal propagation throughout the entire facility.
The private wireless network solution also sidestepped complex approval processes that additional infrastructure would have required from the nearby airport authorities. Verizon's implementation team spent nearly a year testing and fine-tuning the system, making multiple trips to ensure seamless integration with existing operations.
"He was very enthusiastic and tireless," Kuppusamy said of Verizon implementation specialist Awf Al-Hashemee, noting that Verizon's commitment to getting the solution exactly right for GSM's specific requirements stood out throughout the process.
The deployment connected GSM's Zebra scanners to a dedicated network designed for high-volume warehouse operations, eliminating the signal dead zones that had plagued workers. Once testing was complete, the actual deployment took just one month.
"We didn't face any issues," Kuppusamy said of the implementation process.
The signal issue is completely solved with the deployment of Verizon's private wireless network.
Anbu Kuppusamy, Chief Information Officer, GSM Outdoors
Productivity gains transform warehouse operations
The transformation was immediate and measurable. Warehouse teams now handle 100 shipments per two shifts, a 66% improvement over the previous rate of 60. This increase in productivity allows GSM to meet the growing demand.
"The signal issue is completely solved with the deployment of Verizon's private wireless network," Kuppusamy said. Workers can now complete entire picking sequences without interruption, seamlessly moving through the warehouse aisles that once created operational bottlenecks. The handheld scanners that used to fail mid-task now maintain consistent connectivity throughout the facility, eliminating the frustrating restarts and workflow delays that had become painfully routine.
These operational improvements transformed daily warehouse life. Teams no longer waste time hunting for signal strength or abandoning partially completed tasks to find connectivity. The reliable network enables continuous data flow between scanners and GSM's enterprise resource planning system, ensuring near real-time inventory tracking and order accuracy. Workers can focus on their core responsibilities rather than troubleshooting technology glitches.
GSM can now process orders more efficiently during their critical peak season, maintaining steady inventory flow to support the company's expanding retail partnership and 50+ brand portfolios. The warehouse operates at optimal capacity without the workflow disruptions that previously required workarounds and additional labor. Most significantly, the new private wireless network supports GSM's ambitious growth trajectory, so that its warehouse infrastructure can scale in line with market expansion plans.
A strong partnership positions GSM for continued growth and innovation
With this warehouse connectivity foundation in place, GSM is looking ahead to what's next. “I'm keen on innovations that are lightweight and seamlessly integrated with security, and enthusiastic about collaborating with Verizon on new automations and technological advancement as they become available,” Kuppusamy said.
With seamless operations now providing the stability needed to handle increased order volumes, GSM can continue to pursue its mission to become the world's leading outdoor sports company.
I'm keen on innovations that are lightweight and seamlessly integrated with security.
Anbu Kuppusamy, Chief Information Officer, GSM Outdoors
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