People at heart of Patterson’s dominance in 3PL industry

Small Business Spotlight for The Memphis Daily News

Sept. 10, 2012

Special emphasis: Logistics

Founded in 1856, Patterson Warehouses Inc. is one of the leaders and most respected players in Memphis’ robust third-party logistics (3PL) industry.

Yet even with the advances in technology, and acres and acres of warehouse space that Patterson Warehouses operates in Memphis and Horn Lake, vice president of sales and marketing Buzz Fly said it’s the company’s employees that drive its success.

“We’ve got a very experienced management team, a lot of veteran logistics guys, and we’ve just tried to keep our head down and take care of our customers,” Fly said.

Patterson’s main niche is importing goods going to retailers. Many of these goods arrive via container ship from Long Beach, Calif., where the cargo is loaded on trains headed to Memphis. Patterson employees move those containers from local rail yards to their facilities, unload them and inventory the product.

It’s a service that is becoming ever more specialized as technology advances. Far different than the 19th century when Patterson boasted the fastest delivery time from Nashville to Memphis (52 hours), these days there are such offerings as 24-hour Web tracking of inventories and the ability to re-supply, not just full pallets to a warehouse, but product at the case level for retailer shelves … (read more)