Kenco heralds executive hiring and services expansion in support of significant growth

With 100% annual growth in its Transportation Services group, Chattanooga Tennessee-based 3PL recently announced it is taking steps to expand its footprint in that space through additions on various fronts.

One addition it announced is the hiring of Mike McClelland as Senior Vice President of Transportation. McClelland joins Kenco from Knight Transportation, where he served as senior vice president. Kenco added that it will be hiring 30 new team members next year, in an effort to support its non-asset Transportation Services group, which is comprised of transportation management, freight audit and payment, and brokerage services.

The company added that it is expanding its asset-based transportation services, establishing White Glove service centers in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Portland, Oregon, Denver, Colorado and Orlando, Florida. Kenco’s White Glove service offerings are comprised of residential delivery, product set up and removal of all packaging and older products.

“Expanding our transportation services is a key element of Kenco’s commitment to delivering a comprehensive suite of solutions to our customers,” said Denis Reilly, President and CEO, Kenco Logistics, in a statement. “With a customer-oriented team of industry experts, best-in-class technology and a strong infrastructure, Kenco works with our customers to optimize their supply chains through our transportation management team as well as helping with day-to-day capacity.”

In an interview, new executive hire McClelland said that a driver for the company’s growth in its Transportation Services group is related to the significant amount of volatility in the trucking sector over the past two years, in terms of capacity and rates.

“At Kenco, we find that customers look at transportation management services as a means of optimizing performance, regardless of the ebb and flow of trucking capacity,” he said. “Kenco’s value proposition in the transportation sector is founded in the level of expertise in our team the use of new and innovative technologies.  Our customers tell us they are looking for this level of strategic support – they are actively looking for us to bring new ideas and opportunities to them. Kenco recently opened a 10,000 square foot research test lab in a warehouse to test multiple technologies at the same time in real-world conditions, a move that is being well-received by customers.”

When asked about the company’s expansion of its White Glove service centers, he said that, like with its Transportation Services group, it is driven by market demands.

“With e-commerce continuing to grow, and more furniture, home goods and high value electronics being purchased online, our customers, manufacturers and retailers, are looking for the level of delivery service and experience that Kenco offers as part of its White Glove service,” he said. “In addition to meeting strict home delivery windows selected by the end consumer, drivers are expected to un-package a new appliance or other item, set it up, remove the older item and all packaging materials. In some instances, our drivers are being asked to ensure that the new device that they are delivering is set up to operate within the home’s Wi-Fi ecosystem.”

With 30 new team members set to come on board to Kenco’s Transportation Services group in 2020, McClelland said that many of the new staffers will join Kenco’s freight brokerage team, which he said has a “cradle-to-grave” approach in how team members manage shipments.

“We also have the ability to offer shippers a variety of alternatives to meet their needs – from dedicated contract carriage to warehousing to placing a load with one of the thousands of carriers with whom Kenco has relationships,” said McClelland.