AVERITT express
HQ: Cookeville, Tennessee
averittexpress.com | North America

Willing to take the lead, Averitt offered an industry-first a little more than a year ago when, through a partnership with Climate Controlled Containers, it presented customers with climate controlled solutions in self-contained, self-powered LTL shipping units. The units allow customers to pay for only the refrigerated or heated space they need while also giving them the option to consolidate shipments with dry cargo or ship multiple units with varying temperature needs. “The tracking features are very impressive,” says Averitt’s Phil Pierce, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing. “Customers will be able to use as many or as few containers as they need.”

CHOPTANK TRANSPORT
HQ: Preston, Maryland
choptanktransport.com | North America

This fast-growing company traces its roots to being a premier provider of refrigerated shipping and frozen food transportation. In fact, Choptank’s entire business at one time consisted of refrigerated shipments. Today, Choptank offers a full array of services, fueling a growth that made necessary the construction of an 11,000-square-foot expansion of its Maryland headquarters as well as the addition of 130 jobs. “We have been blessed with outstanding growth,” says Steve Covey, executive vice president at Choptank. “Our strategy has been and will continue to be our results-driven culture. The new addition will allow for further investment into our culture through business intelligence and staff additions.”

HANSON LOGISTICS
HQ: St. Joseph, Michigan
hansonlogistics.com | North America

The Midwest-based company doesn’t believe in leaving anything to chance. For instance, when the company announced this year it would be building a massive, deep frozen warehouse—its ninth—for fruit and vegetable growers, Hanson President Andrew Janson pointed out that at this Michigan location one “can’t get a better location, between the fields and Interstate.” Likewise, Hanson’s Velocities Multi-Vendor Consolidation program was designed with smaller, mid-tier food manufacturers in mind, building truckloads for them in Chicago that will eventually reach every major retailer in the country. Hanson also has a close relationship with one of the largest retailers: Walmart.

HELLMANN WORLDWIDE LOGISTICS
HQ: Doral, Florida
hellman.net | Global

Already spanning the world with 443 branches in 157 countries and employing more than 16,000 people, Hellmann is making a big push in the area of temperature-controlled services. Look no farther than the company’s new, state-of-the-art warehousing complex offering customers eight different temperature zones and humidity control capabilities that will significantly optimize produce life. “We have broken new ground here and there really aren’t that many markets we can’t service from this site,” says Chris McCagney, Hellmann’s New Zealand managing director. “Particularly overseas, [we] understand the types of customer needs we expect to be servicing in the future and the infrastructure that requires.”

JOHANSON TRANSPORTATION SERVICE
HQ: Fresno, California
johansontrans.com | Global

JTS offers a full suite of services, but those concerning temperature-controlled matters figure to always hold a special interest for company president and CEO Larry Johanson, who in 1975 was charged by his father and JTS founder Richard Johanson with starting the company’s “Perishable” division. JTS has been an industry leader in the sector in part because of such innovations as being the only company to offer rating software for temperature-controlled LTL, simplifying a complex process of requesting rate quotes and thereby saving customers time and money.

LINEAGE LOGISTICS
HQ: Irvine, California
lineagelogistics.com | Domestic

Lineage continues to literally build upon its standing as one of the world’s largest temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics companies. Witness the recent grand opening of the company’s 180,000-square-foot cold storage distribution center in South Carolina, a facility boasting the latest technology for energy conservation, product handling and high-capacity blast freezing. The facility is designed to provide customers a highly efficient solution for exporting goods to foreign markets and expediting domestic access to imported products. Lineage Executive Vice President Mike McClendon says the opening was emblematic of his company’s outlook. “We see tremendous growth over the next 10 years,” he says.

LYNDEN
HQ: Anchorage, Alaska
lynden.com | Global

An acknowledged leader in seafood logistics, Lynden’s Cool Chain logistics service manages seafood supply chains, whether shipping Alaskan salmon to Seattle or crab to Bangkok. A leader in Alaskan transportation where waters yield a broad variety of product, Lynden ships seasonal fresh and frozen fish; since much of the seafood season now encompasses warm seasons throughout the nation, temperature control is vital to protecting product quality. The company has refrigerated warehouses in Anchorage and in the Pacific Northwest to assure that products are kept at the absolute perfect temperature, and are continuously monitored electronically to maintain freshness as long as possible.

MD LOGISTICS
HQ: Plainfield, Indiana
mdlogistics.com | Global

It’s during one of the worst seasons of every year when MD Logistics shows what it does best. When flu season comes around, these experts in high-volume, cold-chain operations and specialists in life sciences and pharmaceuticals work with a major vaccine manufacturer to quickly bring that season’s product to market. “In many ways we are a reflection of our customers’ needs,” says Mark Sell, co-founder and president of MD Logistics. “We have always tried to listen to and anticipate what they require, and then work to provide the appropriate solution.” Licensed by the FDA for pharmaceutical kitting and packaging, MD can address problems such as incorrect packaging, immediately mitigating minimizing effects on seasonal operations.

NFI INDUSTRIES
HQ: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
nfiindustries.com | Global

When NFI, in concert with retailer Five Below, opened up a distribution center greater than 1 million square feet in New Jersey, it simply added to the company’s already voluminous amount of warehouse and distribution space—which stands at more than 27 million square feet. Jeff Brown, NFI president, says the additional space will allow his company to further “leverage supply chain efficiencies.” Also helping: a company-owned fleet of more than 2,000 tractors and 8,200 trailers. That kind of size allows the company to service customers big and small, with an exceptional WMS that provides full visibility into inventory as well as the information needed to solve production and seasonal produce issues.

VANTIX
HQ: Carrolton, Texas
vantixlogistics.com | Domestic

A recognized leader specializing in the food and restaurant industries as well as time-sensitive goods, Vantix has relationships with thousands of leading carriers, giving it exceptional network flexibility in making decisions that benefit both shippers and carriers. For instance, the company recently contracted Yusen Logistics to provide an over-the-road service for 60 to 70 intermodal freight movements each month from manufacturing plants to various Vantix facilities. “The service has been very efficient and reliable,” says Charles Bostick, director of Transportation and Operations at Vantix, which has access to one of the largest private fleets and distribution networks in the United States.