Transportation Insight Announces Branding of Rapidly Growing Transactional Division as BirdDog

HICKORY, N.C., Aug. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Transportation Insight, a leading global third-party logistics (3PL) provider, announces the branding of its expanding transactional division as BirdDog Logistics™, to be known in the marketplace simply as BirdDog. The branding comes on the heels of several strategic acquisitions that significantly strengthen the company's ability to provide freight brokerage service to every sector of the North American economy.

"Over a 17-year period, Transportation Insight has carefully crafted all the component parts needed to provide the most holistic supply chain solutions available in North America," says Transportation Insight Founder and Chairman Paul Thompson. "An important piece of that is the direct ability to provide brokerage capacity to Transportation Insight's customers and other customers in the logistics marketplace. As we've seen clients seek better capacity sourcing over the last 4-5 years, we've been able to help them fulfill those needs directly in a way that allows us to guarantee the best quality service."

The new BirdDog brand unifies recent Transportation Insight acquisitions under one recognizable name that illustrates the company's longtime dedication to serving its clients and partner service providers with integrity. After years of strategic market research to create a brand that represented the brokerage's business goals and culture, Transportation Insight leaders discovered the ideal resonance in the name of a company acquired last year.

"Given the competitiveness of the global marketplace, we wanted to select a brand that best represents our brokerage," says Transportation Insight President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Baltz. "Names matter and brands matter, and we believe the name and the brand of BirdDog is an absolutely perfect fit for the service our brokerage provides. When you say the word BirdDog, you think intelligent, well-trained, disciplined and loyal. As we operate this transactional logistics division, that name – and all it stands for – represents the quality of service and the experience our customers enjoy when doing transactional business with us."

BirdDog rises from a foundation established by former western North Carolina truckload carrier CHTL, which enjoys a rich history of solid relationships with thousands of reputable transportation providers dating to its roots in the 1920s. That company's success, combined with emerging needs in the marketplace, led to the 1998 creation of truckload brokerage CHTL Logistics. Going forward, that company continues the tradition of fulfilling shipper and carrier expectations with excellence under the BirdDog brand.

"We've amassed a substantial truckload brokerage operation with a clear pathway to becoming a company with revenues in excess of $1 billion," says Baltz. "Between our organic growth and several recent acquisitions, we've assembled a BirdDog leadership team with more than 120 years' experience in the transportation logistics and freight brokerage industry. This expertise in managing a wide variety of transportation modes guarantees that the BirdDog team is capable of delivering class-leading freight management services."

"Rolling out the BirdDog brand is the final chapter in building out a brokerage with a best-in-class technology solution that integrates the most up-to-date tracking, visibility, solutions and service monitoring," says BirdDog Vice President of Operations Randy Abernathy. "Through acquisitions and our significant organic growth efforts, we now have nearly 1,000 clients and a strong foothold in almost every single industry, including consumer product goods, temperature controlled fresh logistics, retail, heavy equipment, flatbed, electronics and entertainment."

BirdDog plans to double the size of its 100 member team within the next three years. The brokerage will fill those positions with high-energy individuals who possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on achieving success.

"Business is won and lost by the people working on your team," says BirdDog Vice President and General Manager Clay Gentry. "High-energy, success-driven associates have a significant focus on customer satisfaction.  Building our team with this type of person – hard-working 'BirdDogs' who don't quit until the job is done – benefits us, because, ultimately, it benefits our clients."

BirdDog's primary operating center is situated on an 11-acre campus in downtown Hickory, N.C., adjacent to the fully restored 1930s-era Lyerly Hosiery Mill. On-site amenities include a full-service cafeteria, athletic field with future plans for a gymnasium, basketball court and workout facilities. Transportation Insight's Founder and Chairman envisioned that the revitalized property would provide a competitive edge in attracting the best and brightest employees, while offering the best tools and technology to serve clients and business partners.

"For BirdDog to be successful long-term, we needed to be able to attract and retain not only millennials, but also members of a changing society who no longer put a high value on suburban living," Thompson says. "Instead, they are seeking a downtown work/life experience within a livable community where associates can experience daily outdoor living and recreational programs."

The BirdDog brokerage is the next phase in Thompson's entrepreneurial growth vision. Since Thompson began building his logistics enterprise in 1999, his companies have garnered numerous awards. Thompson's flagship brand Transportation Insight offers integrated, multi-modal Enterprise Logistics Solutions including top tier services in Parcel audit, optimization and advanced analytics, LTL and Truckload. The lead logistics provider is an eight-time honoree in the Inc. 5000 Honor Roll; a three-time recipient of Global Trade's Top 10 3PLs with recognitions for Best Technology, Best Range of Services and Best Versatility; a five-time honoree of Inbound Logistics' Top 100 3PLs; and a top 6 honoree of Business North Carolina's list of leading privately held companies. Thompson, who has started or acquired nine companies, was the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Southeast Program Award Recipient in the Services Category. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship at Appalachian State University and remains a champion for its continued expansion.

"With the introduction of BirdDog, we are closer to our goal of becoming the largest and most reputable provider of logistics services in North America," Thompson says. "With BirdDog as leader of the pack in freight brokerage, we hope to deepen our legacy of positive contributions to both our community and our industry."

About BirdDog Logistics

As leader of the pack in freight brokerage, BirdDog Logistics brings class-leading freight management services to shippers in need of reliable truckload, temperature-controlled, less-than-truckload, intermodal, flatbed, ocean, air and oversized transportation solutions. A non-asset-based company backed by solid relationships with thousands of reputable transportation providers, BirdDog is well-positioned to provide transportation capacity that enables shippers to deliver on their customer promises. BirdDog's smart and trained associates take a disciplined approach to ensuring that both shipper and carrier interests are protected, while remaining loyal to their commitments and relationships. For more information about BirdDog, please visit www.birddog.com or call 800-344-8950.

About Transportation Insight, LLC

Transportation Insight is a multi-modal, global lead logistics provider with more than $4.6 billion in supply chain spend under management. For more than 15 years, the 3PL has partnered with hundreds of manufacturers, distributors and retailers to achieve significant cost savings, reduce cycle times and improve customer satisfaction rates by providing customized supply chain solutions. Transportation Insight offers a Co-managed Logistics® form of 3PL, carrier sourcing, freight bill audit and payment services, state-of-the-art transportation management system (TMS) applications and business intelligence. Its logistics services include domestic transportation, parcel shipping solutions, supply chain analytics, international transportation, warehouse sourcing, LEAN consulting and supply chain sourcing of indirect materials. Headquartered in Hickory, NC, Transportation Insight has secondary operating centers in Atlanta, GA, Bentonville, AR, Boston, MA, Charlotte, NC, Omaha, NE and Salt Lake City, UT, as well as more than 50 client support offices across North America. For more about Transportation Insight, visit www.transportationinsight.com, email [email protected] or call 877-226-9950.

Contact: Lisa Santos Farley Email: [email protected] Phone: 828-485-5000

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SOURCE Transportation Insight

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