3PLs Keep the Beat

Supply chain and logistics leaders face an increasingly dynamic and volatile landscape. “We’re operating in an environment defined by geopolitical instability, accelerating digitalization, and rising regulatory and sustainability demands,” says Elizabeth McGuire, director and supply chain lead with Clarkston Consulting.

These forces are reshaping supply chains in ways that require not just greater efficiency, but also stronger resiliency. Companies with adaptive, diversified supply chains consistently outperform their peers when navigating global shocks.

Many third-party logistics (3PL) providers actively collaborate with clients to support their evolving needs, says Brian Pacula, a partner in West Monroe’s supply chain practice. This includes offering services such as planning and forecasting support, improving visibility into inbound and outbound shipping, and enhancing order management.

As logistics providers partner with shippers, they also have to balance the need for resilience, cost control, and technology adoption within a high-risk, dynamic global environment. “Agility is no longer optional—it’s a competitive necessity,” notes Korhan Acar, partner in Kearney’s strategic operations practice.

That’s not all. Along with helping shippers execute their logistics and supply chain strategies, 3PLs need to enable their clients’ resilience by assisting with strategic planning, risk management, and supply chain reconfiguration, Acar says. They also need to partner with shippers to craft responses to tariffs, geopolitical shifts, and natural disruptions.

Given the challenges the current environment presents, many shippers have shown a “willingness to not accept the status quo and to look for new opportunities to create value,” says Jim Ritchie, president and chief executive officer with RedStone Logistics. They might accomplish this by, for instance, reworking their network design to reflect the new environment.

Logistics providers, like their clients, face a daunting, turbulent environment. Yet those that adjust their services to address today’s challenges by delivering solutions, such as advanced technology integration and real-time predictive visibility, set themselves up to gain a competitive edge. “Those who step up in these areas will become indispensable in helping clients navigate an increasingly uncertain supply chain environment,” McGuire says.

The partnerships highlighted here demonstrate how committed logistics providers help shippers boost agility and resilience, streamline operations, cut costs, tackle daunting logistics challenges, and enhance customer service, all while operating in a turbulent business landscape.

Mugsy and Ryder Stay in Style With Perfect Rhythm

Since its launch as a direct-to-consumer brand in 2016, Mugsy has grown to offer more than 40 styles of jeans, along with shorts, chinos, and other items.

In 2021, recurring issues with the logistics provider the company had been using prompted Mugsy’s management team to search for an ecommerce fulfillment partner who could handle the company’s 2,000-plus SKUs as well as its need for value-added apparel services.

In early 2022, Mugsy moved to Ryder System, Inc., after hearing positive comments from others in the industry. “We were much smaller then, but Ryder immediately took an interest in us,” says Scott Dulany, Mugsy’s COO.

Ryder has helped Mugsy trim expenses and boost service in several ways, including by introducing efficiencies in its reverse logistics process. Mugsy had been working with a reverse logistics group out of Indianapolis, where all its returns were processed. The returns often remained in Indianapolis for several weeks before they were brought back to Mugsy’s warehouse in Columbus, Ohio.

With Ryder, Mugsy’s costs for managing returns are roughly the same, but returned products head back to stock in real time. They can be sold more quickly, and, with more accurate inventory counts, Dulany can ensure his replenishment buys are also more relevant and precise.

Like many companies, Mugsy is currently strategizing how to offset the additional costs of tariffs. “It’s about cost engineering—finding efficiencies in all parts of the business,” Dulany says.

Along with streamlining returns, Ryder is helping Mugsy cut the cost of parcel services. “As a much larger company, Ryder can command better pricing with parcel carriers,” he adds.

In addition, customers can now place their orders and choose their shipping time frame, and the Ryder system will, in real time, access the best possible rates. “Our parcel costs have gone down over the past three years, even as industry-wide parcel costs are going up,” Dulany says. This is due to Ryder’s ability to gain economies of scale, to shop for rates, and to bring on new partners, such as regional carriers.

Moreover, by working out of Ryder’s Ohio location, Mugsy’s online orders reach a large percentage of the population in two to three days.

In the first week after the launch, Ryder dispatched more than 1,000 Mugsy orders on time. Nearly all—99.5%—of Mugsy customers report that they were satisfied with their order and delivery experience.

“Apparel and physical goods can be hard to manage,” Dulany says, given the large number of sizes and SKUs. “We wouldn’t be able to operate our business without Ryder providing the service level they do. Their team is an extension of ours.”

Henry Bath and RJ Logistics Keep High-Value Cargo in Perfect Time and Tune

Henry Bath, a global metal exchange warehousing company, has been handling sensitive metals cargo for more than 230 years.

With locations across the country, it requires “a logistics partner that can handle diverse transportation needs efficiently, securely, and safely,” says Don Nichols, general manager, North America.

The challenges presented by a previous logistics provider’s work—including inconsistent delivery times, a lack of real-time shipment visibility, and inadequate communication—impacted Henry Bath’s ability to meet customer expectations and manage transportation effectively. In addition, costs exceeded the competitive industry average, Nichols says.

Henry Bath shifted to RJ Logistics in May 2023, and currently uses its brokerage and asset services for full truckload and cross-border services.

“Their security protocols, tracking, and proactive communication ensure we are always at ease about our shipments,” Nichols says.

The value of some shipments can make them a target for theft. Along with the hard dollar costs of a security breach, the reputational impact would be severe, Nichols says, noting that some brokers have lost business as a result of shipments being stolen.

RJ Logistics, which has moved hundreds of loads successfully, “uses modern solutions, inclusive of AI, to bolster security protocols,” Nichol says.

In addition, Henry Bath’s logistics operations have significantly improved with RJ Logistics’ dedicated account management and tailored solutions.

“The better we understand our customers’ challenges, the more successful we will be at tailoring a solution to address them,” says Sean Scott, vice president of sales for RJ Logistics.

The 3PL’s ability to effectively manage assessorial costs has enabled Henry Bath to quote business more competitively, which has led directly to more deals. “Issues of all shapes and magnitudes happen across all industries and are unavoidable,” Nichols says. “RJ Logistics has been prompt and collaborative in any issues we’ve faced.”

Ethos Pet Brands and Pegasus Drum Up a Unified Supply Chain Beat

Ethos Pet Brands launched in 2023 when Natural Balance Pet Foods combined with Canidae Pet Food Company. “Ethos,” the original name of Canidae’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Brownwood, Texas, reflects both companies’ character and integrity, as well as their commitment to providing high-quality nutrition and premium ingredients. The Brownwood facility now manufactures products for both brands.

As the two businesses combined, it became clear that the multiple distribution centers they’d been using and that were located across the country could not handle all the SKUs of both operations, says Aaron Grimm, COO of Ethos. The warehouses were not large enough, and the information systems needed to be upgraded to account for products from the two different companies.

In addition, as Ethos leveraged its in-house manufacturing capability in Brownwood, it needed to change its distribution network to fully capitalize on the new structure. Centralizing through a single, larger distribution center with Pegasus Logistics enables Ethos to simplify its supply chain, reduce inventory, and increase service levels to customers, Grimm says.

Ethos and Pegasus Logistics connected in mid 2024. Pegasus’ distribution center is located within a few hours of Ethos’ manufacturing operation, allowing for nationwide distribution from a central location. “We have been able to reduce inventory levels, and we can now ship all products from both brands on the same truck, which makes things simpler for our customers,” Grimm says.

The best way to measure how a business relationship works is by assessing how well operations proceed when challenges arise, which always happens in startups. “The way Ethos and Pegasus Logistics worked through issues for improvement was excellent and we are excited about our future partnership,” Grimm says.

“We approach every engagement as a long-term alliance—not just a transaction—working side-by-side to align on goals, solve complex challenges, and adapt to evolving needs,” says Tevon Taylor, senior vice president, contract logistics with Pegasus Logistics.

Agri Beef and Redstone Logistics Orchestrate A Meaty Strategy

Agri Beef, a family-owned and vertically integrated ranch-to-table company, delivers quality beef and pork products to restaurants and retailers across the globe under several brand names, including Snake River Farms, Double R Ranch, and Rancho El Oro. It has been in operation for more than five decades.

To pursue greater transparency around market opportunities and to boost the consistency of its carriers’ performance, Agri Beef partnered with RedStone Logistics, says Robbie Rebholtz, vice president of operations. Currently, Agri Beef works with the RedStone client success management team, which helps coordinate orders for delivery to customers. Agri Beef also uses the RedStone customer service portal and a third-party yard management system that RedStone helped implement.

Since implementing these solutions, Agri Beef has enjoyed substantial cost savings, enhanced visibility into carrier performance, and improved communication within its transportation team, Rebholtz says.

It has also initiated multiple continuous improvement projects that are propelling future growth.

For example, because RedStone manages carrier contracting, Agri Beef no longer has to rely on the spot market. Along with lower costs, this boosts consistency in carriers, Ritchie says.

“Our partnership with RedStone has been invaluable,” Rebholtz says.

A commitment to delivering tailored solutions that meet Agri Beef’s needs, coupled with a focus on identifying cost-saving opportunities, has made RedStone a strategic partner that can help the company navigate market variability, Rebholtz adds.

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SEKO Syncopates the Great Elephant Migration

The Great Elephant Migration is a fundraising adventure featuring 100 life-size elephant sculptures, each a replica of a real wild elephant. The sculptures are migrating across the United States, with stops in iconic locations along the way, says Fiona Humphrey, co-chief executive officer, Coexistence Story Inc., and co-founder of The Great Elephant Migration.

Transporting a herd of life-size elephants more than 5,000 miles across the United States is a “logistical mountain,” Humphrey says. Each elephant is a unique shape and size and requires a custom approach to security and transport.

“We were looking for a 3PL partner who could not only manage the physical scale of the project but also understand the purpose and the care required when handling the sculptures,” Humphrey adds.

As they travel, the elephants share their story from the Nilgiri Hills in India, where 150 elephants live alongside 250,00 people. The Great Elephant Migration is raising money to support human-wildlife coexistence efforts in the United States and around the globe.

Exhibit locations include major cities such as New York and Houston. This requires coordinating the concurrent arrival of multiple 40-foot trailers in tight urban areas, unloading within tight timeframes, and ensuring minimal disruption.

SEKO Logistics supports the initiative with end-to-end logistics, including long-haul trucking, regional transportation, warehousing, and on-the-ground assistance at each location. When SEKO’s own facilities haven’t been available, the 3PL has used its network to help source the right solutions.

This project requires a custom-tailored logistical solution for each step, says Jason Garcia, operations director with SEKO Logistics. Weekly calls with the Elephant Family operations team to go over details and shift plans as required, often due to unforeseen circumstances with the exhibit area and city ordinances, have been key to success. These “required us to stay agile to ensure we met the strict times for load-in and load-out,” Garcia says.

The knowledge that the herd is in safe and experienced hands has provided invaluable peace of mind, Humphrey says. The Great Elephant Migration has also benefited from efficiencies resulting from SEKO’s expertise and flexibility. For example, SEKO helps to source smaller trucks when possible.

SEKO “embraces the mission and message of The Great Elephant Migration,” Humphrey says. “They helped us bring this wild idea to life.”

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