Managing the cold chain is crucial to protecting and meeting the demands of the supply chain. Companies on this year’s Top 3PL & Cold Storage list play a pivotal role in the on-going challenge.
Logistics Providers Keep Pace With New Demands
Standouts in their own right, each company continues to improve their skills and keep up with the latest temperature monitoring technologies, transportation management systems and warehouse management systems. Moving and storing perishable goods requires companies to commit to continually improving their operations and meeting their customers’ needs.
Traceability Toolkit: Software, Automation, Data Standardization
Food Logistics is pleased to announce the Top 3PLs & Cold Storage Providers of 2019, an annual updated directory of providers that summarizes their capabilities. The list is a useful resource to transportation decision-makers fora quick view of potential solution providers and the geographic locations they serve.
Congratulations to all the companies who have earned a spot on our 2019 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers list. The following are expanded profiles of some of the companies on the list.
View previous years' lists:
2018 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers
2017 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers
2016 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers
A.N. Deringer Inc.
Location: St. Albans, Vermont
Website: www.anderinger.com
Year Founded: 1919
Number of Employees: 493
Area Served: U.S. Region, National, North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Customers benefit from Deringer’s high-level trade involvement as they receive advance insight into the changing regulatory landscape. As trade laws evolve, A.N. Deringer helps companies understand how shippers proactively change procedures to avoid non-compliance that could result in penalties or delays.
Burris Logistics
Location: Milford, Delaware
Website: www.burrislogistics.com
Year Founded: 1925
Number of Employees: 1,716
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: At Burris Logistics, clients’ businesses are just as important as its own. The company offers compelling and comprehensive solutions. Burris learns from its customers and the industries they serve and has the resources to collaborate on end-to-end supply chain management needs.
CBT Inc.
Location: Oakwood, Georgia
Website: www.cbtoakwood.com
Year Founded: 1989
Number of Employees: 11
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: CBT utilizes top-of-the-line programs to quickly set up qualified carriers, efficiently dispatch all loads to completion, electronically invoice customers and expeditiously pay carriers. The company has assisted others during times of need, such as coordinating the delivery of water to the Houston area following Hurricane Harvey.
Choptank Transport
Location: Preston, Maryland
Website: www.choptanktransport.com
Year Founded: 2000
Number of Employees: 325
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: Choptank Transport is known in the industry as one of the top vendors for tracking. The company has developed several leading technologies, most recently unveiling its latest in-house, data-driven software platform featuring predictive analytics and smart freight-matching. Choptank strongly believes in staying ahead of the technology curve, offering its customers the most efficient, cost-effective transportation solutions in the supply chain.
DSW Distribution Centers Inc.
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Website: www.dswdist.com
Year Founded: 1973
Number of Employees: 70
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Asset
Worth Noting: In its 46 years, DSW Distribution Centers continues to offer a wide array of value-added services, with specialized licensing and multiple temperatures for the ingredients, food and beverage, pharma and bio tech, and consumer packaged goods industries.
DSC Logistics
Location: Des Plaines, Illinois
Website: www.dsclogistics.com
Year Founded: 1960
Number of Employees: 4,000
Area Served: North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: DSC Logistics transforms logistics and supply chain management into a critical business strategy. The company understands the added pressure that CPG/food and beverage companies are currently facing to increase their profit margins. Thus, DSC manages rigorous food safety processes for all of its food customers. With its extensive experience working with distribution networks for major grocery/dollar stores, mass merchant/club chains and foodservice retailers, DSC is awarded annually as a top 3PL provider.
Florida Freezer
Location: Fort Myers, Florida
Website: www.flfreezer.com
Year Founded: 1988
Number of Employees: 22
Area Served: U.S. Region
Asset/Non-asset: Asset
Worth Noting: Florida Freezer is a fully operational supply chain organization that has cold and dry storage warehouses in several locations. In addition, it operates a trucking company to support all entities with transloading and final-mile trucking deliveries with GFA Rail Services.
Hanover Logistics
Location: Hanover, Pennsylvania
Website: www.hanoverlogistics.com
Year Founded: 1955
Number of Employees: 180
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Hanover Logistics differentiates itself from the competition by supplying its customers with a “one-stop-shop” service. The company provides e-commerce kitting, drayage, transportation, cross-dock and pool distribution services—as well as additional services required. With its location in the Northeast, Hanover is able to reach regional areas and Mid-Atlantic states. In addition, the company has expanded its freight brokerage, developed a flat-bed operation and recently purchased a Class A 325,000 square-foot facility.
H&M Bay Inc.
Location: Federalsburg, Maryland
Website: www.hmbayinc.com
Year Founded: 1982
Number of Employees: 555
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: H&M Bay is the country’s premier logistics provider for LTL refrigerated and frozen commodities. Consolidation centers strategically located nationwide, along with a host of web-based systems for ordering and tracking, help companies manage their shipping needs.
Johanson Transportation Service
Location: Fresno, California
Website: www.johansontrans.com
Year Founded: 1971
Number of Employees: 90
Area Served: North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: Johanson Transportation Service understands that cutting-edge logistics technology plays an important part in providing its customers with excellent service. Since releasing the first version of its proprietary cloud-based TMS in 2008, the company’s tech experts continuously update the technology as market conditions evolve. JTS offers its TMS as an added-value of doing business and continues to invest in technology that advances its features.
Keller Logistics Group
Location: Defiance, Ohio
Website: www.kellerlogistics.com
Year Founded: 1978
Number of Employees: 475
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Keller Logistics Group and its 3PL affiliates present a strategic, closed-loop logistics solution from maker to market, affording its customers a single source to arrange their transportation, warehousing and secondary packaging needs. The company has extensive expertise and practices a small company culture, allowing it to successfully serve its clients.
Kenco
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Website: www.kencogroup.com
Year Founded: 1950
Number of Employees: 4,000
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: With an integrated logistics platform, Kenco focuses its commitment to service and cultural alignment, while providing vertically integrated and engineered solutions with its partners. In addition, the company maintains capabilities of fulfilling supplier diversity requirements.
Liberty Cold
Location: Bolingbrook, Illinois
Website: www.libertycold.com
Year Founded: 2016
Number of Employees: 29
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Asset
Worth Noting: Liberty Cold prides itself in the partnerships it has made and continues to grow throughout the food industry. The company’s leadership has nearly 100 years of combined industry experience, providing customers with a profound knowledge base to help them succeed. Its expanded state-of-the-art facility features 310,000 square feet of temperature-controlled storage space that keeps fresh and frozen food products safe and secure.
LiVe Logistics
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Website: www.livelogisticscorp.com
Year Founded: 2016
Number of Employees: 15
Area Served: National, North America
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: Despite being a young company of three years, LiVe Logistics brings decades worth of experience in 3PLs and brokerage services. The company believes in the value of its personal and professional relationships with employees and clients.
Lynden Inc.
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Website: www.lynden.com
Year Founded: 1906
Number of Employees: 2,658
Area Served: U.S. Region, National, North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: The Lynden family has expansive transportation and logistics capabilities as an asset-based carrier. The company always has the right equipment for the job. Regardless of how a client needs to move cargo, Lynden is able to accommodate the needs of its customers. Whether its fresh or frozen perishable items, the company transports products at just the right speed and temperature to maintain their top quality.
Metro Park Warehouses
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Website: www.mpwus.com
Year Founded: 1970
Number of Employees: 175
Area Served: U.S. Region
Asset/Non-asset: Asset
Worth Noting: Customers benefit from Metro Park Warehouses’ reliable, quality service and lower warehouse and transportation costs. The asset-based 3PL is further expanding its distribution services I in the Midwest. In addition, the company’s custom kitting and display assembly services help customers meet higher volumes and demanding deadlines by flexing labor and space during peak seasons.
Next Generation Logistics
Location: Palatine, Illinois
Website: www.nextgeneration.com
Year Founded: 1988
Number of Employees: 14
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: Next Generation Logistics’ provides exceptional service above and beyond what its customers can do themselves. The company positions its technology as an extension of its customers, setting it apart from the competition. By keeping customers current on strategies and opportunities, NGL helps keep supply chains running smoothly.
Odyssey Logistics & Technology
Location: Danbury, Connecticut
Website: www.odysseylogistics.com
Year Founded: 2013
Number of Employees: 2,400
Area Served: International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Whether a client is looking to move its product across the country or across an ocean, Odyssey Logistics & Technology utilizes the optimum mode for each segment of the food transportation supply chain. For the last 12 years, the company has specialized in door-to-door sea transportation of bulk liquid food products in ISO tank containers. Odyssey provides ISO tank containers for inventory storage at shipper or receiver plant locations and its U.S. distribution centers handle over 60 million cases of alcoholic beverages annually.
Omni Transloading & Logistics
Location: Miami, Florida
Website: www.omnitransloading.com
Year Founded: 2014
Number of Employees: 50
Area Served: U.S. Region, National, North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Strong partnerships with Florida East Coast Railways and LOUP Logistics has led to numerous accolades for Omni Transloading & Logistics. Recently, LOUP and the UP Railroad named the company one of their Select Connect facilities—making it one of the only companies east of the Mississippi River to be selected.
Penske Logistics
Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Website: www.penskelogistics.com
Year Founded: 1969
Number of Employees: 19,058
Area Served: International
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Penske Logistics is one of the industry’s largest providers of 3PL, dedicated contract carrier and warehousing services. The company is the recipient of the Freight Carrier Excellence Award and has opened its latest cold distribution center in Michigan this summer.
Phoenix Logistics
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Website: www.phoenix3pl.com
Year Founded: 2017
Number of Employees: 25
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Asset
Worth Noting: As an affiliate of the real-estate firm, Phoenix Logistics is uniquely positioned to help its customers with all of their supply chain needs. The company has access to a portfolio of 25 million square feet of warehouse space, coupled with an aggressive investment in technology and a competitively priced space for added value. Phoenix Logistics is driven by a sense of urgency and uniqueness, providing creative options and competitive solutions.
R2 Logistics
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Website: www.r2logistics.com
Year Founded: 2007
Number of Employees: 200
Area Served: North America, International
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: R2 Logistics offers industry-leading supply chain management services to shippers of all sizes. The company specializes in services that include managed transportation, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), expedited and air freight, intermodal, ocean and specialized hauling. Backed by game-changing technology, the company has created a transportation management system that allows customers to rate shipments and receive real-time visibility into their logistics network.
Red Classic
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Website: www.redclassic.com
Year Founded: 2011
Number of Employees: 1,235
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Red Classic provides comprehensive, reliable transportation and fleet maintenance solutions. Utilizing a regional company-owned fleet, growing OTR network and full-service logistics division, the company serves a diverse customer network shipping everything from beverages to building materials. By providing service across the continental U.S. and Canada, Red Classic offers full truckload, LTL, dedicated, flatbed, intermodal and managed transportation solutions. The company is also one of the largest beverage haulers in the country.
RLS Logistics
Location: Newfield, New Jersey
Website: www.rlslogistics.com
Year Founded: 1988
Number of Employees: 300
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Since expanding its temperature-controlled LTL service offering nationally, RLS Logistics can now pick up temperature-controlled LTL anywhere in the country. The company continues to open new locations as well, with its latest cold storage warehouse in Delanco, New Jersey, debuting in November 2018. RLS’ mobile racking technology allows it to store 30-percent more pallets in a defined space.
Romark Logistics
Location: Westfield, New Jersey
Website: www.romarklogistics.com
Year Founded: 1954
Number of Employees: 800
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: For the last 65 years, Romark Logistics has been servicing some of the top food, beverage, pharmaceutical and retail companies in the world. The company has established itself as a premier third-party logistics provider that supports all facets of the supply chain. Through strategic acquisitions, Romark continues to grow organically and has masterfully blended its investments, making it a strong value-added business. In addition, its flexible environment was created to enable customers to grow, adapt and remain competitive.
Sonwil Distribution Center
Location: Buffalo, New York
Website: www.sonwil.com
Year Founded: 1942
Number of Employees: 550
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Sonwil Distribution’s robust technology platform, operational expertise and continued investment in its team and process is its recipe for success over the last 75 years. With locations in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Nevada, Sonwil’s footprint continues to expand, providing scalable and innovative solutions to meet the challenges of its clients.
Transervice Logistics Inc.
Location: Lake Success, New York
Website: www.transervice.com
Year Founded: 1969
Number of Employees: 1,200
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: In its 50th year, Transervice Logistics continues to provide contract maintenance, full-service leasing and logistics services to many Fortune 500 companies throughout North America and Puerto Rico. The company’s full disclosure and gainshare philosophy is award winning and is responsible for many strategic partnerships.
Total Quality Logistics
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Website: www.tql.com
Year Founded: 1997
Number of Employees: 5,500
Area Served: North America
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: Total Quality Logistics works directly with nine of the top 10 food and beverage companies in North America, meeting or exceeding all FSMA and SFCR regulations. The company carefully maintains relationships with the most reliable carriers to give them the flexibility they need to move fresh food quickly and cost-effectively.
Universal Chain Inc.
Location: Denver, Colorado
Website: www.uchaininc.com
Year Founded: 1982
Number of Employees: 1,000
Area Served: National
Asset/Non-asset: Non-asset
Worth Noting: At Universal Chain, companies know that their lumping and logistics operations will run smoothly and efficiently. The company has taken what was once a raw and undeveloped industry and transformed it into a structured, accountable and standardized service—one focused on saving its clients time and money. Universal Chain’s commitment to quality in legal lump has helped it build a solid reputation for dependable service that upholds warehouse, carrier and vendor relationships.
Worley Warehousing Inc.
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Website: www.worleycompanies.com
Year Founded: 1977
Number of Employees: 185
Area Served: U.S. Region, National, North America
Asset/Non-asset: Both
Worth Noting: Worley Warehousing has a unique strategic advantage by being located in Iowa. The company provides its clients with the ability to rapidly respond to market demands and seasonal fluctuations. The culture of Worley reflects the value it brings to its clients by being a resource – not just a service.
To read the full list of winners, please click here.
