A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The mobile carrier units may be automated guided vehicles and may include self-navigating software, and interactive communication with other guided vehicles to permit suitable routes to be chosen, or to permit obstacles to be avoided. The facility may include a workpiece retrieval apparatus used for transferring workpieces between the storage accommodations and the automated guided vehicles, or to other locations. The workpiece retrieval apparatus may be mounted on a bridge, and may include a multi-element raising and lowering array that is biased to oppose torsional deflection of the lifting member.