Atkore, Regional Distribution Centers

This Atkore Regional Distribution Centers film marked a major shift in how the company tells its operational story. Created to launch Atkore’s Regional Distribution Centers — now known as Regional Service Centers — the project focused on a fundamental change in how materials move from manufacturer to job site.

Atkore’s goal was simple but ambitious: bring awareness to a one-stop-shop distribution model that could save customers time, reduce complexity, and eliminate unnecessary friction. While the system was already in place, very few customers understood how much time and money it could save them.

Lightbox Filmworks partnered with Atkore to translate that operational shift into a clear, human, and scalable story.

The Challenge

Traditionally, contractors source materials from multiple manufacturers. That process creates fragmented ordering, multiple invoices, separate deliveries, and unnecessary coordination.

Although Atkore’s broad portfolio and four strategically located distribution centers made a simpler approach possible, awareness remained low. The challenge wasn’t building the system, it was explaining it clearly and credibly.

Complicating matters further, Atkore wanted to communicate not just logistics, but values. The story needed to reflect customer focus, operational discipline, and real people behind the system.

The Approach

The first step was focus.

There was a large amount of information Atkore wanted to include, so the work began with identifying the core message: one order, one delivery, one invoice. From there, the team shaped a narrative that balanced efficiency with human experience.

Character selection became central to that process. With dozens, sometimes hundreds, of employees at each location, identifying the right voices mattered. Through close collaboration with Atkore’s marketing communications team, an initial shortlist of interview subjects grew organically to sixteen as new recommendations surfaced during pre-interviews.

That discovery phase helped anchor the story in real workflows and real people, rather than abstract systems.

Production at Scale

Production spanned four states — California, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Illinois — over eight primary shoot days, with additional travel and pickup days extending the schedule to eleven days total.

Because filming took place in active distribution centers, safety and logistics shaped every decision. Forklifts moved constantly through warehouses, machinery ran throughout the day, and freight trains passed nearby at unpredictable intervals.

To adapt, interviews were scheduled strategically, lighting setups were adjusted repeatedly, and crews worked within strict safety protocols. Detailed pre-production planning made this possible, ensuring each location had clear goals, shot lists, and schedules before cameras rolled.

Alongside video production, a trusted photographer and friend, Joni Schrantz, captured forty photography assets to support launch, social, and trade-show needs.

Photography: Joni Schrantz

Post-Production & Deliverables

Following the multi-week production, the project moved into post-production with a clear plan in place. Because pre-interviews, scripting, and logistics had been carefully aligned in advance, editing remained focused and efficient.

Final deliverables included:

• One primary brand film establishing the full Regional Distribution Centers story

• Five social spots expanding on key elements of the system, including the will-call app, Atkore’s core values, real-world disaster response, and more.

• Forty photography assets captured across distribution centers and production environments

All pieces were designed for flexibility, allowing Atkore to deploy the work across their website, social channels, and trade-show environments.

The Outcome

The final campaign delivered a clear and confident launch story for Atkore’s Regional Distribution Centers. More than an operational explainer, the film positioned the distribution network as a strategic advantage built around speed, transparency, and service.

For Lightbox Filmworks, the project also marked one of the first large multi-state productions following the height of the pandemic. It sharpened coordination, reinforced the value of deep pre-production, and strengthened a long-standing collaborative relationship with Atkore.

Both teams wrapped the project confident in the work — and aligned around a shared standard for how complex industrial systems can be communicated with clarity and trust.

This project is part of our broader Industrial & Manufacturing Film work and our ongoing collaboration with Atkore.

Photography: Joni Schrantz

Campaign Deliverables

The Will Call App	Core Values
The Customer Experience	Disaster Response
Co-Loading

Client: Atkore
Project: Regional Distribution Centers Brand Film
Industry: Industrial & Manufacturing / Logistics & Infrastructure
Location: California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Illinois, USA
Services: Full-Service Video Production, Creative Development, Scriptwriting, Pre-Interviews, Multi-Location Production, Logistics Coordination, Post-Production