IWLA Members: Saying ‘Yes’ to Solving Problems

By Jay D. Strother, IWLA President & CEO

Former CEO of the Shippers Group and one-time IWLA Board Member Ken Johnson had a simple answer when someone asked about what third-party warehouses do: “We solve problems every day.” (If you knew Ken, you probably just read that in his deep, North Texas drawl.)

As I travel North America visiting IWLA-member warehouses, I see firsthand what Ken meant: Warehouses find solutions to manufacturing, assembly, kitting, fulfillment, distribution, inventory management, and a broad array of other challenges for their customers. In nearly every case, a third-party warehouse does this more efficiently and cost effectively than the retailer or manufacturer.

This spring, my travels took me to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Wisconsin, Toronto, and more. Many IWLA members (and a few prospective members) welcomed me for a quick visit and warehouse tour.

Here’s just a sampling of what these members do – and it’s soooo much more than pallet-in-pallet-out:

• I saw tank trucks pull alongside a warehouse fitted with feeder pipes/tubes leading to specialized oil-drum filling stations inside. Employees filled the drums and sent them on their way for destinations foreign and domestic.
• In another warehouse, I learned that employees finalized the assembly of automated car wash kiosks – filling the shell with electronics, monitors, cooling apparatuses, and more.
• In the same warehouse, a group of employees secured components for retail display cabinets destined for brick-and-mortar stores.
• If you wonder where your mail-order underwear came from, it may be from a member who has perfected a pick-and-pack line for these necessities.
• I felt like a kid entering the Willy Wonka factory when I stepped into a warehouse that was FILLED with chocolate of all kinds. It smelled wonderful and the diversity of SKUs handled was amazing.
• Even in an electronic world, I love paper. Seeing a warehouse full of rolls of all kinds of paper – from newsprint to packaging – was a treat. The clamp forklifts are fun to watch work.

When I asked my hosts how they started working in any of these specialized areas, the answer was always the same: “Our customer asked.” Indeed. That’s how warehouse companies grow: They say “yes” and then they find the solution. In fact, that’s the true foundation of the entrepreneurial spirit so many members embrace: They say “yes.”

I am proud to be involved in such a creative, vibrant, and necessary part of the supply chain. Our members are inspirations. Thank you for letting me serve you – and visit you in your places of business.

To learn more about all of the services that IWLA members provide, visit www.findawarehouse.org and find a warehouse in your area.