More than a Name Change...
We are proud of Sunland Distribution, Inc., and the company we have evolved into over the last 30 years. Sunland has recently embarked on the journey to realize our vision of becoming a truly great 3PL company. We want to help our customers do what they do better! Therefore, we are dedicated to becoming a quality and innovations leader in the industry.
Logistics represents an evolution from trucking and basic warehousing to inventory management. This involves integrating technology, people, and processes to effectively and efficiently deliver goods to the customer in a variety of quantities when they want it and in good condition. Logistics better reflects Sunland's progression to a strategic versus a tactical provider. With a talented team and a strong focus, Sunland has changed its name to better reflect who we are and who we are committed to becoming as we head towards our next 30 year horizon. Today, we become Sunland Logistics Solutions!
Simpsonville, SC – Sunland Distribution, Inc. is proud to announce it has been named the recipient of Scotts Miracle-Gro’s 2012 Business Partner Excellence Award for warehouse providers. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products. As a southeast regional distribution center for Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sunland received the highest quality audit score across the warehouse provider network, shipping over 31,000 deliveries and more than 250 million pounds of product with 60% of the processing for the Fortune 100 company occurring within a 100 day peak season.
When asked to describe working with Sunland Distribution, Inc., Bill Couchman, Director of Global Distribution for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, shares, “The superior service that Sunland Distribution provides to Scotts is critical to our supply chain management…Sunland Distribution has been a valued partner in supporting Scotts in the Southeast with outstanding warehousing out of the Simpsonville, SC facility and has been an important element of our supply chain success."
About Sunland Distribution:
A thirty-year old, third party logistics company based in South Carolina, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the needs of companies primarily in the chemical, automotive, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehousing and value added services, transportation solutions, and contract workforce solutions in the Southeast.
PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Liza Twery McAngus
Marketing/Public Relations
864.295.0081
liza@sunlanddistribution.com
www.sunlanddistribution.com
Simpsonville, SC – Two global logistics industry giants, Elijah Ray and Bill Gates, have recently joined Sunland Distribution, Inc. Previous CSCMP President and a former Senior VP in the global division of an international supply chain solutions provider, Elijah Ray has joined the company as Sunland’s new EVP of Client Solutions. Ray has dedicated over 25 years to the field of Logistics and Supply Chain Management with a focus on operations excellence, quality, customer relationship development, marketing, and sales. His leadership for quality led to industry recognition as his organization developed a culture of continuous improvement while engaged with highly recognizable name brands.
Bill Gates has assumed the position as Chairman of Sunland Distribution’s Board of Directors. Gates began his logistics career in 1988 working for Standard Corporation and was CEO of the company at the time of its acquisition. In 2011 he retired, finishing his career as President of an international supply chain solutions provider with $4.5 billion revenue and 20,000 employees at the time. Gates shares why he wanted to become involved with Sunland; “I’ve respected Sunland for years and have been very impressed with the growth and transformation of the company under Arch Thomason’s leadership since he acquired Sunland in 2008. I view Sunland very much as I did Standard - a company with terrific values and very focused on serving customers. I am excited to be serving as Sunland’s Chairman of their Board of Directors.”
About Sunland Distribution: A thirty-year old, third party logistics company based in South Carolina, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the needs of companies primarily in the chemical, automotive, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehousing and value added services, transportation solutions, and contract workforce solutions in the Southeast.
PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Liza Twery McAngus
Marketing/Public Relations
864.295.0081
liza@sunlanddistribution.com
www.sunlanddistribution.com
The South Carolina Automotive Council, a division of the South Carolina Manufactures Alliance, will hold its second annual Automotive Summit from February 5-7, 2013 at the newly renovated Hyatt Hotel in Greenville, SC. The South Carolina Automotive Council is a not-for-profit, member-based organization committed to serving automotive-related manufacturers through programs, services, advocacy, and partnerships under the guidance of the SCAC leadership.
The Automotive Summit is an educational and networking event that is designed to benefit automotive manufacturers and suppliers. Representatives from a wide variety of capacities within these organizations are encouraged to attend.
These include: general managers, human resource directors, automotive manufacturer and supplier executives, supply chain management experts, purchasing and marketing executives, quality and lean manufacturer experts, financial analysts, government and education representatives, information managers, labor leadership, manufacturing managers and engineers, and plant managers and supervisors.
The 2013 SCAC Title Sponsor, Sunland Distribution, Inc., is proud to support this year’s Automotive Summit. The company’s CEO, Arch Thomason, explains, “We were very impressed with last year’s event and are excited about the growth potential for S.C.’s automotive sector. The SCAC is providing a valuable opportunity to strengthen our business community by enabling players throughout the industry’s supply chain to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.” As a quality logistics solutions provider currently serving Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers, Sunland Distribution, like many other businesses in the Upstate, will be able to learn from and discuss with industry leaders about the current state of the American automotive industry and what to expect going forward.
Click here for more details about the 2013 SCAC Automotive Summit: http://www.scautomotivecouncil.com/index.php/2013-auto-summit/
About Sunland Distribution: A thirty-year old, third party logistics company based in South Carolina, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the needs of companies primarily in the automotive, chemical, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehousing and value added services, transportation solutions, and contract workforce solutions in the Southeast.
Sunland Distribution would like to share with you Supply Chain Digital's Top Ten Supply Chain Topics of 2012...
2012 has been quite the year for the Supply Chain Management industry. Having endured a number of challenges over the past 12 months, we have lost some industry giants, gained some new players, and made some unusual collaborations. It is now time for the industry to look forward to the range of fresh approaches, emerging markets and revolutionary technologies that 2013 has in store.
1. New Technologies: Whether it concerns user interfaces, new devices or the potential effects of 3D Printing, 2012 has seen a range of new technology, which combined is likely to promote major changes in the operation of the global supply chain.
2. A new approach to procurement: Sustainable & Ethical Procurement is at the forefront of many Supply Chain Managers' minds following the consumer-led call for reform which has occurred over the last few months. With scorecard systems and industry accreditation for sustainable and ethical practice on the rise, it is important to check your procurement methods are squeaky clean.
3. Pay attention to life cycles: If, for example, the product life cycle is in decline, it is necessary to add a whole new slant to demand planning.
4. The rise of railway freight: The future looks bright for those in the rail freight industry, as rail enjoys a new found popularity, becoming the eco-friendly freight method of choice for a number of retailers and experiencing an oil boom in Canada.
5. Couriers enjoy a rise in online ordering: Couriers across the world are enjoying a rise in online shopping, leading to increased demand for next day delivery. With companies looking into more and more innovative ways to sate the next day demand, it is important to evolve your operations to respond to orders ASAP.
6. The new dawn of outsourcing: With the need for increased cost cutting and a focus on the most efficient processes, outsourcing is the future for supply chain companies, according to Ahmed Mazhari from Genpact. Make sure you look into the best ways to embrace your outsourcing opportunities.
7. Green Transportation: The focus is on green energy for 2013, with the shipping, trucking and aviation industries all racing to get ahead in the conversion to low CO² operations. Make sure you’re up-to-speed with all the options available!
8. Port Investment: With a number of investments occurring in ports and distribution centers across the world, freight channels are increasingly connected across a range of vehicle options, it seems huge ‘logistics districts’ will be a development in the future, encouraging multi-location distribution.
9. Arctic Shipping: Whether you are pro or against Arctic Shipping, it is clear that new ocean freight routes through the Northern Sea will remain in the headlines for a while. Following the first Chinese ship to cross the Arctic just a few months ago, it is important to evaluate the environmental responsibility of crossing these challenging routes.
10. Industry leaders: Finally, as the industry evolves it is necessary to keep an eye on what the influential supply chain companies and associations are doing. No matter how the industry changes, staying knowledgeable about news, innovations, and experts’ opinions will always be important.
Traditionally, expedited services were commonly used in certain industries because they shipped time sensitive items such as fresh seafood, pharmaceuticals, or critical legal documents. Today, however, the number of products routinely being shipped with expedited transportation services has expanded to e-commerce, seasonal products, fashion goods, high-tech products, and manufacturing materials.
Expedited services have developed as a supply chain problem-solver as expedited air and ground carriers are providing opportunities for shippers to balance both speed and cost. Its ability to help decrease inventory carrying costs and to provide flexibility for production planning can be used to lower costs.
"For many shippers, using expedited has become a planned event rather than an emergency solution… Shippers may pay more, but the savings from the larger supply chain window exceeds the cost," says Rick Mathews, vice president of expedited services and customer service, YRC Freight in an interview with Inbound Logistics. Shippers can spend more time on processes such as analyzing the latest demand signals to shape production, or take extra care with quality control, knowing they can expedite delivery. Another factor is inventory carrying costs. The faster a product gets to the marketplace, the less time it spends on the books.
A broader range of options is being offered by logistics providers, such as expedited ocean and two-driver ground services. These new services give shippers more options as the general trend develops towards mode shifting driven by issues such as high costs and fuel surcharges, heightened security requirements, reduced capacity, and delays and congestion. For many shippers, a guaranteed delivery time is a major benefit of expedited when there are tight delivery windows; the additional cost of an expedited service with a guaranteed delivery time can easily offset the cost of chargebacks for missing a delivery promise.
Here are some of Inbound Logistics' suggestions on how to find the right expedited provider for your supply chain management solutions:
▪ Collaborate with carriers. Shippers who allow full transparency receive the best results from expedited services. They need to tell providers about their business, customers, and locations, so they can develop the best solution.
▪ Make your own assessment of expedited services. More shippers are making the effort to evaluate expedited carriers' facilities and operations firsthand to ensure proper conditions for their critical goods. Be aware that industry data can sometimes be unclear.
▪ Base vendor selection on your specific lanes and needs. It's essential for the expedited carrier to demonstrate a strong track record in the lanes or services your company uses.
Landstar's expedited services offer shippers access to a wide range of options for their most urgent ground transportation needs - any time, including late nights and holidays, 365 days a year. Call James today to see if Landstar's expedite services are the right fit for your company's specific needs. 864.331.2044
Landstar Global Logistics Agency: Sunland Trucking and Transportation division is a Landstar Global Logistics Agency, a Responsible Care provider with a 99% plus safety rating.
About Sunland Distribution: A thirty-year old South Carolina based company, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the needs of companies primarily in the chemical, automotive, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehouse services, transportation solutions, and temporary staffing in Greenville and Charleston, SC. Call today for your free warehousing and distribution consultation: Rob McElyea, 864-295-0081 ext. 206
According to Georgia’s Center of Innovation for Logistics new report, “The Logistics of Education and the Education of Logistics,” supply chain managment logistics in the Southeast (defined in the report as Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida) will grow by a total average rate of 6 percent by 2018, or a total employment of 466,000, with growth mainly led by Georgia and Alabama. Georgia’s logistics industry alone will generate 9,500 job openings per year, each year until 2018.
Analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data shows the U.S. will generate approximately 270,200 logistics-related job openings in the U.S. each year and close to 1.1 million by 2016.
In contrast, the nation’s 7,642 educational institutions currently generate just 75,277 formally trained, degreed or certified workers annually, a pace that means roughly only 28 percent of the identified logistics-related job openings will be able to draw from a pool of trained candidates.
“The logistics industry is growing at an ever-increasing pace and facing new challenges and opportunities like never before,” said Page Siplon, executive director of the Center of Innovation for Logistics, headquartered in Savannah.
“Conditions created by new technology, government regulations and increasing demands from consumers to always deliver products faster, better and cheaper will require a workforce that has the skills and real-world training to meet this demand. This will have a profound impact on companies of all types and sizes.”
Siplon said he expects the logistics jobs shortfall could impact both corporate revenues and consumer costs.
About Sunland Distribution:
A thirty-year old, Greenville-based company, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the distribution and warehousing needs of companies primarily in the chemical, automotive, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehouse services, transportation solutions, temporary staffing and full supply chain managementsolutions.
Call today for your free warehousing and distribution consultation: Rob McElyea, 864-295-0081 ext. 206
Landstar Global Logistics Agency:
Sunland's Trucking and Transportation division is a LANDSTAR Global Logistics Agency, a Responsible Care provider with a 99% plus safety rating.
For a free freight quote, call and speak with James, 864.331.2044.
A thorough description of your freight could help reduce your LTL freight costs.
When LTL freight is described incorrectly or too vaguely, carriers will play it safe and often assume a class description at a higher price classification. The lack of specific information can lead to a 25-40% increase in your LTL freight charge. Fortunately, these unnecessary costs are avoidable.
Important Information to Include When Describing Your Freight that Could Help Lower Your Costs.
- It’s important to have the actual weight of the product. If the weight is incorrect, a weight correction will be made and will alter the quote provided.
- A complete description of the commodity is a plus along with the actual dimensions of the LTL freight. Some commodity classifications are based on density, so accurate dimensions and weight are crucial to the correct rate.
- Including a NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) number provides an official representation of the actual class of freight.
- If the product is Hazardous, the following information must be provided: a UN number, type of hazardous material, proper shipping name, packing group number, and a 800 telephone number for emergency contact.
About Sunland Distribution:
A thirty-year old, Greenville-based company, Sunland Distribution, Inc. serves the warehousing and distribution needs of companies primarily in the chemical, automotive, retail, and paper industries; and specializes in providing warehouse services, transportation solutions, temporary staffing and full supply chain management solutions.
Call today for your free warehousing and distribution consultation: Rob McElyea, 864-295-0081 ext. 206
Landstar Global Logistics Agency:
Sunland Trucking and Transportation division is a LANDSTAR Global Logistics Agency, a Responsible Care provider with a 99% plus safety rating.
For a free freight quote, call and speak with James, 864.331.2044.
Has a warehousing & distribution provider ever sent you an invoice that was significantly larger than the initial quote?
Because there are so many variables involved in 3rd party logistics management, this often occurs when providers don’t ask enough questions to accurately assess the scope of work required. Anticipating and preparing the specific information you’ll need to communicate in advanced, will enable you to use your time more efficiently and evaluate your warehousing and distribution service needs more effectively.
The following list of questions can be used as a general guide for preparing the information necessary to clearly communicate your warehousing needs.
Product Type & Description:
- # SKU’s or product types in Inventory?
- Packaging type? i.e. cartons, tote, etc.
- % of packaging type?
- Weight per unit or pallet?
- # units per pallet?
- Pallet dimensions?
- Project launch date?
Inventory Levels (per month):
- Average inventory?
- Minimum inventory?
- Maximum inventory?
- Can your product be stacked? If so, how high?
- Inventory turns per year?
- Lot tracking required?
- FIFO method?
- Tracking serial #’s required?
- Special handling requirements?
- Value Added services required?
# of Inbound per Month:
- How many containers per month?
- Average # of SKU’s per Inbound?
- Average weight per Inbound?
- Average # of units or pallets per Inbound?
# of Outbound per Month:
- How many shipments per month?
- Average # of SKU’s per Outbound?
- Average weight per Outbound?
- Average # of units or pallets per Outbound?
- Shipments palletized?
- Unit picking required? If yes, % full pallet, % less than full pallet?
- Other Outbound requirements?
If you need assistance with your warehousing and distribution requirements, please give us a call. We'd be happy to help:
Rob McElyea, Sales and Development
864-295-0081 ext. 206
RobMc@Sunlanddistribution.com
Rail is making a comeback, as today’s shippers are being forced to seek the most fuel-efficient modes of transportation.
Rail helped build America into an industrial power house in the 19th century. But, the railroad's relevance as a mass means for moving non-commodity freight waned considerably. But now, in the 21st century, it may be poised for a massive resurgence as fuel prices make it competitive again. Supply chain management has become more sophisticated in accurately forecasting and responding to demand. In turn, this flexibility allows for longer transportation moves, making time and expedited services slightly less relevant. Cost and capacity are critical, so shippers are willing to trade lead times for space availability at a lower price. They also recognize the advantages they can gain by pairing over-the-road flexibility with longer-haul economy.
According to a study by the Federal Railroad Association, rail fuel efficiency varies from 66 to 218 ton-kilometers per liter, whereas truck fuel efficiency varies from 29 to 57 ton-kilometers per liter. Also, the fuel efficiency of rail has been ramping up at a far faster rate than trucks. Between 1990 and 2006 rail efficiency improved by about 20 percent, or 1.1 percent annually. The longer the haul, the more of a fuel efficiency advantage rail has over trucking.
Some of the gain is owed to technological and efficiency improvements such as, electronic controllers, lighter containers, stronger motors, and improved aerodynamics. Optimizing traffic, improving scheduling, and reducing empty car mileage, are examples of the operational logistics enhancements that have been made.
As rail privately invested $40 billion in new infrastructure over the past five years, the trucking industry has suffered high fuel and labor prices. The increase in the two largest costs has been forcing the trucking industry to contract since 2005. Accordingly, rail has gradually taken market share away from trucks since 1999. The migration from trucks to rail is particularly evident for shipping distances longer than 500 miles. The trend toward railway freight and away from truckload freight is destined to continue, according to a projection by rail transportation veteran Ron Sucik of RSE consulting. He believes that market share of rail could double 2035 as more trains are "double-stacked" with shipping containers and fuel prices continue to rise.
Landstar Global Logistics can help you take advantage of this more efficient mode of transportation and to reduce your company's transportation costs.
When it comes to intermodal transportation, Landstar offers:
- Contracts with all major railroads & stack-train operators
- Competitive pricing for intermodal transportation rates
- Reliable door-to-door service throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Secure a dependable intermodal transportation expert who can help improve your efficiency. Call James today, 864.331.2044.
