1980

• Forte Industrial Equipment Systems Inc. is founded as a regional material handling distributor by Gene Forte.

1983

• The personal computer (PC) is introduced to the world by IBM with help from FORTE. FORTE designs and builds the world’s first PC distribution center specifically for the IBM PC. FORTE’s project base expands nationwide while developing the entire distribution network with seven additional distribution centers in various locations throughout the United States through 1992.

1990

• FORTE pioneers “Design/Build” for the distribution marketplace, providing single-source accountability for consulting and systems integration.

1993

• FORTE designs and builds the world’s first automated mail order pharmacy for Hooks SuperX, later to become CVS/pharmacy.

1995

• FORTE designs and installs one of the industry’s first print-and-apply automated label application systems and WMS integrations. FORTE’s work helps set design specifications for the systems that are still in use today.

1996

• FORTE completes one of the industry’s first WMS integration projects with a highly automated material handling system for Candle-lite©.

1997

• FORTE designs and builds the Beiersdorf© and totes»ISOTONER© DCs, two of the first fully automated DCs to use Manhattan Associates©’s PkMS WMS. totes is one of the first DCs to feature full PkMS integration and automated print-and-apply label application technology.
  
  
• FORTE’s internal software development team develops Automation Director, one of the industry's first warehouse control system software packages to run on the common Microsoft© Windows platform.

2003

• FORTE introduces its online Knowledge Center, a web resource to disseminate the distribution knowledge FORTE has gathered over the past two decades, to help distribution leaders improve their operations.

2004

• FORTE develops the industry’s first Distribution Intelligence System (DIS) software, iOPTIMIZE™. iOPTIMIZE turns historical data into working intelligence, delivers total process synchronization, and provides real-time KPI-based performance metrics, driving ongoing process improvement.
  
  
• FORTE completes the first installation of iOPTIMIZE DIS for Delta© faucet.