July 17, 2012 - Toronto – Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in supply chain, warehousing and transportation management solutions, and its customer, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, a leading grocery retailer, have received the prestigious Logistics Quarterly (LQ) 2012 Third Party Logistics (3PL) Sustainability Award. This annual awards program recognizes third-party logistics providers that work closely with their customers to demonstrate leadership and innovation in sustainable supply chain practices.
Ryder and Fresh & Easy were recognized for implementing innovative, sustainable practices that have resulted in improved service, environmental performance, and cost effectiveness in Fresh & Easy’s supply chain operations.
Fresh & Easy currently operates 199 grocery stores in California, Arizona and Nevada and relies on a total fleet of 74 vehicles managed by Ryder to support grocery and perishable store deliveries from its Riverside, California distribution center. Services provided by Ryder include Temperature Controlled Dedicated Transportation, Inbound Freight Management, and Reverse Logistics.
The LQ 3PL Sustainability Award Evaluation Committee, comprised of leading executives and academics from the U.S. and Canada, recognized Ryder System, Inc., and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, as the Best 2012 3PL Performer in Sustainability Winner, representing the finest of the four “Best 3PL Performers in Sustainability” finalists following the 3PL Finalist Firm Presentations on July 17th at LQ’s Symposium in Toronto, Canada. In addition to collaboration, LQ’s Evaluation Committee considered each 3PL finalist’s strategic vision in this area, as well as their performance in economic, environmental and societal areas of sustainability.
The members of LQ’s 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards (2012) Evaluation Committee included: Dave Closs, PhD, LQ Executive Editor, and Professor, Michigan State University; Bill Horrocks, Vice President, Supply Chain/Logistics at Rogers Communications Inc.; Cliff Lynch, C.F. Lynch & Associates; Loray Mosher, PhD., Assistant Director at the Supply Chain Management Research Center (SCMRC), Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas; Kate Vitasek, Founder, Supply Chain Visions and a faculty member at the University of Tennessee’s Center for Executive Education.
The four finalists were selected by LQ’s Executive Editors, Dave Closs, PhD, LQ Executive Editor, and Professor, Michigan State University and Thomas Goldsby, PhD, The Ohio State University, based on applications submitted earlier this year by 3PLs and their clients documenting their best practices together. This year, 30 leading North American 3PLs registered to participate in LQ’s 3PL Study and Awards Program.
LQ was honored to have the following finalists present at its July 17th Symposium and share their insights and inspiring case studies in sustainability. A few of excerpts of their presentations have been included here as well:
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
• Steve Raetz, Director of Supply Chain Integration, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
• Walter Kowal, CPA, Internal Audit Manager, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.
“Because of the work we did together John B. Sanfilippo & Son passed the Walmart audit, and this positioned them for future growth and retention of that business. It demonstrates how sustainability practices in these collaborative relationships can enhance the business. It is not only about the innovations in manufacturing and our relationship. It shows how sustainability practices cascade upstream to the suppliers and to the customers downstream. It illustrates how sustainability contributes to the brand equity and, ultimately, how your customers perceive you.” - Steve Raetz, Director of Supply Chain Integration, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
“Because of our great relationship of innovation and challenging each other to make improvements - we have been able to show our customers, such as Walmart and Pepsico that we are innovative and sustainable in our business and constantly striving for continuous improvement.” - Walter Kowal, CPA, Internal Audit Manager, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.
GENCO ATC
Tadd Moreland, Senior Project Engineer, GENCO ATC
Lauren Spirnak, Senior Project Engineer, GENCO ATC
“GENCO ATC’s lean-to-green approach begins with our staff of lean trainers, and then identifying waste and finding sustainable solutions. In this case, we developed a technology solution that enhanced our performance for a retailer with some 1,100 stores, 10,000 products and an estimated 18,000 daily internet orders from their location in Georgia. Our case study reflects the fact that one of the key requests from our clients is for more reporting information. More customers want information to share with their stakeholders, and increasingly they’re turning to their providers to garner more of this information.” - Tadd Moreland, Senior Project Engineer, GENCO ATC
“Engineering and Operations worked together to create this new and innovative solution for this retail client; Three innovative apps for an iPod to provide data on picking, replenishing and put-away. The result is “iSmart”, which enables our supervisors to be instantaneously informed on the floor. This results in more data-supported decisions, eliminates paper and less timely paper reports, reduces costs associated with supervision and improves the overall velocity of work flow. Plus it reduces overtime for team mates, and ‘No fill rate’ on orders have been reduced due to the increased visibility. Today, supervisors as well as and team mates are happier.” - Lauren Spirnak, Senior Project Engineer, GENCO ATC
Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Bethany Gentry, Supply Chain Engineer, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Randall P. Hudkins, Group Director, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Donald W. Showell, Sr. Director of Solutions Execution and Standards (Network Design and Transportation) for the Global Supply Chain Services Team, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Linda Wytovich, Logistics Manager, Fresh & Easy
“In one of our first meetings with Fresh & Easy focusing on predictive analysis, we were asked to share innovative ideas to help bring more efficiency to their operations. Our first recommendation was to have Fresh & Easy collaborate with another grocery retailer by sharing transportation. This involves literally putting competitors’ product on the same vehicles and in the same lanes. Fresh & Easy was very open to this idea. We were able to take 200,000 miles out of the lane with one truck and we shared in the savings with both companies.” - Donald W. Showell, Sr. Director of Solutions Execution and Standards (Network Design and Transportation) for the Global Supply Chain Services Team, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
UPS Supply Chain Solutions
Alan P. Amling, Global Logistics and Distribution Marketing, UPS Supply Chain Solutions
Stephen Rodgers, Director Global Manufacturing Operations, March Networks
“There is not one solution because sustainability is not something that is
one and done. It must be part of the corporate culture. If sustainability
is simply a project, then it is going to fail. At UPS we look at
sustainability as encompassing social responsibilities, environmental
stewardship and economic prosperity. One of the things I enjoyed today is
the partnership shown in every one of the finalist presentations. That is
what it is all about. Leveraging resources to take carbon out of the
environment and to do it in an economical way. It needs to be part of your
DNA and culture. That’s how we all win.” - Alan P. Amling, Global
Logistics and Distribution Marketing, UPS Supply Chain Solutions
Tom Schmitt, Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Purolator, and recipient of LQ’s 2011 3PL Sustainability Award, was the moderator of the afternoon session dedicated to LQ’s 3PL Finalists on July 17th at the Toronto Board of Trade’s Country Club.
LQ’s team would also like to take this opportunity to express its appreciation for the support of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc, which has made LQ’s annual 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards Program possible in 2012 and 2011, and share the following acknowledgement and vision statement by C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc:
We are pleased to support the 2012 LQ 3PL Sustainability Study. For C.H. Robinson Worldwide, sustainability is not a single initiative, but an overall approach to business that continually adds value, improves efficiencies, and invests in the long-term success of our customers, contract carriers, growers, employees and communities. As a leader in our industry, we believe it’s important to help drive innovations that reduce the freight logistics industry’s impact on the environment. We salute LQ for its commitment to highlighting the significant contributions our industry is making, and we are proud to help underwrite such an important effort.
About C.H. Robinson Worldwide
Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., is a global provider of multimodal logistics services, fresh produce sourcing, and information services to 37,000 customers through a network of more than 230 offices and over 8,300 employees around the world. The company works with 53,000 transportation providers worldwide. C.H. Robinson is a Fortune 500 company and had annual revenues of $10.3 billion in 2011.
Through the company and its Foundation, C.H. Robinson and its employees contribute millions of dollars annually to a variety of organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Community Health Charities, American Red Cross, Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, and Global Impact. The company is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ since 1997. For more information about C.H. Robinson, visit http://www.chrobinson.com.
