A system for producing customized products intermixed with mass produced products, said system comprising: an automated track system comprising a primary transport path and a plurality of secondary transport paths that are nested or cascaded in parallel, wherein the primary path is in the form of a closed loop that is configured to permit at least one container-loaded vehicle to travel in a holding pattern, wherein the term "holding pattern" means that at least one vehicle or article transporting vehicle travels past at least one point on a closed loop twice while traveling in the same direction without an intervening trip in the opposite direction past said point, and that the article transporting vehicle does not unload an article or component thereof in between passing through the point twice; a plurality of unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90) disposed along the track system, each of said unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90) being capable of performing an operation in the process of producing a product and/or preparing a product for distribution; a plurality of vehicles propellable along the track system, comprising at least: a first vehicle for transporting a first article, and a second vehicle for transporting a second article, wherein said first and second vehicles are independently routable along the track system to deliver the first and second vehicles, with the respective first and second articles, to at least one of the unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90); and wherein the primary path has ingress and egress portions for vehicles to be diverted therefrom onto the at least one secondary path; and wherein the first article and the second article are routable so that: said first article is routable to form a customized product; and said second article is routable separate from said first article to form part of a stream of mass produced products. an automated track system comprising a primary transport path and a plurality of secondary transport paths that are nested or cascaded in parallel, wherein the primary path is in the form of a closed loop that is configured to permit at least one container-loaded vehicle to travel in a holding pattern, wherein the term "holding pattern" means that at least one vehicle or article transporting vehicle travels past at least one point on a closed loop twice while traveling in the same direction without an intervening trip in the opposite direction past said point, and that the article transporting vehicle does not unload an article or component thereof in between passing through the point twice; a plurality of unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90) disposed along the track system, each of said unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90) being capable of performing an operation in the process of producing a product and/or preparing a product for distribution; a plurality of vehicles propellable along the track system, comprising at least: a first vehicle for transporting a first article, and a second vehicle for transporting a second article, wherein said first and second vehicles are independently routable along the track system to deliver the first and second vehicles, with the respective first and second articles, to at least one of the unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90); and a first vehicle for transporting a first article, and a second vehicle for transporting a second article, wherein said first and second vehicles are independently routable along the track system to deliver the first and second vehicles, with the respective first and second articles, to at least one of the unit operation stations (84, 86, 88, 90); and wherein the primary path has ingress and egress portions for vehicles to be diverted therefrom onto the at least one secondary path; and wherein the first article and the second article are routable so that: said first article is routable to form a customized product; and said second article is routable separate from said first article to form part of a stream of mass produced products. said first article is routable to form a customized product; and said second article is routable separate from said first article to form part of a stream of mass produced products.