This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Cold Chain Summit.
FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: How e-commerce is changing the cold chain.
DETAILS: Founded in 2016 and based in Youngstown, Ohio, Perishable Shipping Solutions (PSS) provides warehousing and distribution services of perishable foodstuffs to support manufacturers’ online sales and marketing strategies. PSS operates two warehouses, one in Youngstown and the other in Sacramento, California. It offers two-day ground transit times to the end customer. The service reaches roughly 93% of the U.S. consumer population.
SPEAKER: Mark Nelson, CEO of Perishable Shipping Solutions
BIO: Nelson has been with PSS since 2017. Before that, Nelson, a serial entrepreneur, was COO of XanAdu Inc. where he led the development and launch of a SaaS mobile training platform for employees to access their training materials on-the-go. From 2010 to 2014, he was COO of Revelstone, a company he co-founded to help local governments operate more efficiently.
KEY QUOTES FROM NELSON:
“The big brands aren’t using e-commerce just to grow the top line. But they’re using it as a marketing channel. They are providing a one-on-one customer experience they can’t get at a grocery store.”
“FedEx and UPS’ networks have been stretched. … When you’re shipping ice cream or cheese, and it shows up on a third day, you have a problem. … We are seeing a higher-than-normal error rate from the carriers. We can’t change that, but we work with our clients to build `insurance’ into our solutions.”
“Today, delivering two-day for specialty foods is perfectly adequate. … But we are adding more warehouses to drive one-day shipping for our largest customers. … I even see same-day shipping in the larger cities.”