Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipline Logistics, LLC, http://www.ziplinelogistics.com/ the upstart Columbus, Ohio logistics company that has succeeded in a crowded market despite opening its doors during the recession, has a success story that fits right in with the holiday season.
The 3PL has doubled its revenue each year over the past five years and topped revenues of $10 million this year through something it gives to everyone it works with-- ‘Golden Rule’ http://www.ziplinelogistics.com/about/ customer service.
In a recent customer and carrier survey, 98 percent of customers said their relationship with Zipline was based on honesty, integrity and loyalty; 94 percent felt Zipline interacted with them in a friendly, straightforward manner; and 94 percent said Zipline carriers represented them in a positive manner.
What’s more, 88 percent of truckers polled said they’d rather take a Zipline load than from any other carrier.
A company motto is that delivery involves a shipper and a receiver--and an opportunity to build two trusting relationships.
Zipline partners J.J. Rodeheffer, Andrew Lynch, and Edward Williams met while working right out of college for a national logistics firm. After learning the ropes, they were able to achieve levels of performance that were at the top of the industry. But despite individual professional success, they were dissatisfied.
"We compared notes and recognized that our employer was married to profits to the detriment of customer relationships," said Rodeheffer. "We thought that was unfair, and knew there was a better way to do business."
Rodeheffer said he and his partners saw clients paying high rates because they needed a premium service and quality equipment, while their employer consistently matched customer freight only with the truck that provided the widest profit margin.
"This regularly occurred regardless of the promises made to that client," he said. "We also saw carriers that delivered premium service after investing heavily in quality equipment. Some carriers had highly-professional staff who had their rates depressed due to competing rates from carriers who weren’t making the same investments or providing the same level of service."
The men understood that there was a need to carve out a "service-first" http://www.ziplinelogistics.com/customers/ segment of the transportation market. "We decided treating people fairly and ethically while focusing on service to both the vendor and client would set us apart from our competition," he said.
They sketched out the Zipline business plan on a napkin that night in a Midwest tavern.
Their dedication to treating everyone as they would want to be treated is the key to Zipline success. Despite a depressed freight market and the tightest business credit market in decades, Zipline Logistics is trending toward more than 15,000 shipments this year.
"We’ve managed that growth without ever losing a single client," said Rodeheffer. "That’s something we’re extremely proud of."
The partners claim their success formula http://www.ziplinelogistics.com/carriers is quite simple: focus on doing what’s right; treat clients and customers fairly and honestly; pay carriers on time; and value long-term business relationships over one-time transactions.
From the beginning five years ago, Zipline embraced core principles of respect; communication; honesty; placing integrity above profit; accountability; delivering on all commitments; professionalism; valuing knowledge; partnerships; and sacrificing to serve others.
"When we formed Zipline, we didn’t know we were building a purpose-driven company," said Rodeheffer. "We only knew we wanted to go beyond the almighty dollar and take care of people. No matter what it takes, we don’t stop until the shipment is there. And we believe in making a price commitment that sticks."
Their commitment to treating others honestly has paid off in accolades as well as revenue. Zipline was named to the 2011 Inc. 5000’s list of the nation’s fastest-growing, privately-held companies, and was a 2011 finalist for the Columbus Best Places to Work award.
In 2010, Zipline was named one of Columbus’ top 50 fastest-growing companies by BusinessFirst magazine.
The fast-growing 3PL wants to hire three new employees by Jan. 1, and is looking for college graduates who are enthusiastic and good communicators, who multi-task and pay attention to detail-- and love helping others.
"If you are a person of integrity who is self-motivated and likes problem solving and decision making, you may be a good fit for us," said Rodeheffer. "We’re centrally located in Columbus for the type of employees we are trying to attract -- college graduates who like to live in the city."
Zipline Logistic has 14 employees and handles truckload, less-than-truckload and rail shipment delivery across North America and Canada.
For more information, go to www.ziplinelogistics.comhttp://www.ziplinelogistics.com/contact/ or call (888) 469-4754.