Redwood Logistics Selected By Ariens Company As 3PL Partner

Inside Year One of the partnership, strategy and technology combine to increase visibility and help control costs

Chicago, IL and Brillion, WI /PRNewswire/ - Last May, Ariens Company, a Wisconsin-based equipment manufacturer best known for its lawn tractors and snow throwers, selected Redwood Logistics, a strategically integrated logistics provider, as its third-party logistics (3PL) partner. Roughly one year later, the partnership has yielded significant efficiency gains, delivered improvements to material visibility and achieved critical transportation cost reduction for Ariens.

Ariens credits many of these outcomes to Redwood's attentive, customized mix of managed services and technology. Within the engagement, Redwood provides Ariens with operational and knowledge-based services that include network design, multimodal transportation operations management and technology services.

Redwood has also helped Ariens expand its companywide commitment to continuous improvement by shipping efficiently and focusing on optimizing transportation. Redwood consistently evaluates the results of these efforts on a quarterly and monthly basis with the Ariens team.

"Since Day One, we've felt that our business and its success mattered to the team at Redwood," said James Merwin, vice president of supply chain, Ariens Company. "They tailored a TMS program that fit our mid-market size and needs, and the technology solutions they've brought to the table have been key in increasing visibility and controlling costs. They are an extension of the Ariens team, and we look forward to continued success as the partnership grows."

Seamless teamwork has been a hallmark of the Redwood strategy from the start, and nowhere is it more evident than in the proprietary integration platform that the company has deployed for Ariens. The multifaceted software-as-a-service (SaaS) transportation management system checks and re-optimizes the company's entire freight plan (and spend) multiple times per day. Most notably, Redwood has connected Ariens with all of its suppliers, using Redwood's proprietary B2B communication hub.

This means distribution and warehousing partners, material suppliers and customers can all interact easily with one another and their points of contact at Ariens. Suppliers can now use different public-facing integration points within the portal to fulfill purchase orders. The system, which provides visibility into all key operations, has become a single and reliable source of truth for the company — one that arms decision-makers with real-time data and reliable intelligence.

"A key business priority for Ariens is to leverage technology to track and manage its product distribution and inventory," saidTodd Berger, CEO, Redwood Logistics. "Our depth of knowledge and experience with deploying a range of complementary applications on a SaaS basis has proven enormously successful. Ultimately, that's our goal: to help our customers improve their business performance with reliable, smart solutions."

About Redwood Logistics
Chicago-based Redwood Logistics is a strategically integrated logistics provider that believes every company's needs are unique. For more than 15 years, the company has been providing solutions for moving and managing freight, and sharing its knowledge across North America. Redwood Logistics is focused on making its customers more successful in their end markets by applying talented and motivated people, proven processes and cutting-edge technologies to optimize their supply chain management efforts.

For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.redwoodlogistics.com.

About Ariens Company
Based in Brillion, Wisconsin, Ariens Company is a privately owned and operated corporation focused on outdoor products that serve the needs of both consumers and professional customers. Established in 1933, the company manufactures original outdoor power equipment under the Ariens®, Gravely®, Sno-Tek®, Countax® and Westwood® brands. As a distributor of specialty equipment, supplies and gear, Ariens Company serves niche outdoor segments through direct marketing brands Gempler's®, Ben Meadows® and AW Direct®, as well as aftermarket parts brands Stens® and J Thomas®. Visit www.ariensco.com for more information.