Logistics Plus Customs Brokerage Manager Gretchen Blough appeared on NPR’s February 27, 2025, edition of Marketplace to discuss the latest tariff updates. With so many uncertainties and daily changes, Gretchen discusses how the Logistics Plus team has to remain flexible and be able to pivot at a moment’s notice.
Marketplace® is a nonprofit news organization on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. For more than 30 years, they have helped people become smarter about the economic forces that touch their daily lives through the unorthodox story, the casual conversation, and the unexpected angle on the news.
The following op-ed from Derek Berlin, Logistics Plus Senior Vice President of Global Government Solutions, was published on GoErie.com and in the Erie-Times News on February 27, 2025.
Senior Vice President, Global Government Solutions Derek Berlin was featured this week on an episode of The Briefing with Steve Scully on SiriusXM. In this episode, Derek shares insights from his travels across Ukraine over the past year, reflecting on his experiences and offering an optimistic perspective on the country’s future. The conversation is a natural follow-up to the Steve Scully interview with Logistics Plus COO Yuriy Ostapyak a few weeks ago.
You can listen to a replay of Derek’s segment on SiriusXM on the LP Radio channel link embedded below.
Also pictured below (L-R) are Steve Scully, Jim Berlin (CEO), Yuriy Ostapyak (COO), and Derek Berlin (SVP of Global Government Solutions) at the SiriusXM studio in Washington, DC. We appreciate the coverage and support from Stevey Scully, a fellow Erie, PA native.
About ‘The Briefing with Steve Scully’
“The Briefing with Steve Scully” airs on POTUS Politics — satellite channel 124 and streaming on the SiriusXM app — weekdays from 12–2 pm ET. On his show, Scully — Senior Vice President at Washington, D.C.’s Bipartisan Policy Center — takes listeners inside the stories and conversations that are shaping the day in the nation’s capital. Visit https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/the-briefing-with-steve-scully to learn more.
Businesses are always looking for ways to optimize inventory, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency. One powerful strategy that has gained momentum is Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI). This solution shifts inventory management responsibility from the buyer to the supplier or a third-party inventory manager like Logistics Plus.
But what exactly is VMI, and how can it benefit your business? Let’s explore how Logistics Plus can help streamline vendor inventory management with its innovative supply chain solutions.
What is Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)?
VMI is a supply chain strategy where suppliers or 3PLs take charge of managing and replenishing inventory based on real-time demand and usage data. This proactive approach reduces stockouts, minimizes excess inventory, and improves overall supply chain efficiency. With VMI, suppliers access a buyer’s inventory levels and sales data, allowing them to make informed replenishment decisions. This removes the guesswork from inventory management and fosters stronger collaboration between suppliers and buyers.
The Benefits of VMI
• Optimized Stock Levels – Real-time data analysis ensures optimal inventory levels, reducing overstocking and stockouts.
• Potential Cost Savings – Lower holding costs, reduced administrative burdens, and minimized stockouts lead to cost reductions.
• Strengthened Supplier-Buyer Relationships – Improved communication and collaboration foster long-term business partnerships.
• Better Visibility – Access to real-time demand data enhances forecasting accuracy and reduces disruptions.
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction – Reliable stock availability ensures a seamless experience for end customers.
Industries That Benefit from VMI
Various industries can leverage VMI for streamlined operations, including:
• Retail: Keeping shelves stocked with fast-moving consumer goods.
• Manufacturing: Preventing parts shortages to maintain smooth production lines.
• Pharma & Healthcare: Ensuring the efficient management of critical medical supplies.
• Automotive: Supporting just-in-time inventory for essential components.
Challenges of VMI Implementation
Despite its advantages, VMI does have challenges, such as:
• Seamless Technology Integration: Effective VMI requires smooth data sharing, often needing ERP system investments.
• Trust and Transparency: Businesses must share sales data and rely on suppliers for inventory decisions.
• Vendor Reliability: Supplier performance is critical to the success of a VMI program.
Is VMI the Right Fit for Your Business?
If inventory inefficiencies, frequent stockouts, or high carrying costs are issues for your business, VMI could be the ideal solution. However, success depends on strong supplier partnerships and a commitment to data transparency.
How Logistics Plus Enhances VMI Implementation
Logistics Plus (LP) offers a suite of supply chain solutions designed to support VMI strategies:
• Advanced Inventory Management: LP’s sophisticated system leverages data analysis and technology to optimize inventory levels, track stock movements in real-time, and make informed storage and fulfillment decisions, ensuring efficient stock handling and distribution through our warehousing solutions.
• Technology-Driven Visibility: With MyLogisticsPlus™ and eWorldPlus™, businesses can access real-time inventory tracking, enabling seamless supplier-buyer communication.
• Efficient Fulfillment Services: LP’s tailored pick, pack, and ship solutions ensure vendor-managed inventory is handled quickly and accurately.
• Strategic Warehousing Locations: With nearly 10 million square feet of warehouse space across North America, LP optimizes inventory placement for faster transit times and improved efficiency.
Get Started with Logistics Plus
Vendor managed inventory isn’t just a strategy—it’s a transformative approach to supply chain management. By leveraging the right technology and partners, businesses can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen supply chain relationships.
Ready to implement a VMI program? Start by assessing your inventory challenges and partnering with an experienced and capable 3PL like Logistics Plus to ensure a smooth transition. Contact us today to learn how we can help drive your VMI success.
Andrew Silver, host of The Freight Pod podcast, talks with Jim Berlin, CEO and founder of Logistics Plus. Jim discusses the company he founded in 1996 and has built into a global logistics powerhouse in more than 50 countries, with $600M in revenue, customers like GE and WeWork, and a global HQ in Erie, Pennsylvania’s Union Station. But success didn’t come without taking risks — and learning from failures. “I dive in with both feet without checking the depth of the water.”
In this episode, Jim and Andrew cover:
The journey of how Jim built his company from a small operation managing GE’s transportation into a global logistics powerhouse.
His biggest lessons, best leadership advice, and hiring mentality at Logistics Plus, which has more than 1,200 employees.
The biggest failure of his career — launching a cargo shipping business on the Great Lakes that nearly sank his entire company.
Stories of how simple gestures, out-of-the-box thinking, and creative problem-solving have sustained his career and the growth of Logistics Plus.
About The Freight Pod
The Freight Pod is a deep dive into the journeys of the transportation and logistics industry’s brightest minds and innovators. The show is hosted by Andrew Silver, former founder and CEO of MoLo Solutions, one of the fastest-growing freight brokerages in the industry. His guests will be CEOs, founders, executives, and leaders from some of the most successful freight brokerages, trucking companies, manufacturers, and technology companies that support this great industry. Andrew will interview his guests with a focus on their life and how they got to where they are today, unlocking the key ingredients that helped them develop into the leaders they are now. He will also bring to light the fascinating stories that helped mold and shape his experiences. Learn more and follow The Freight Pod at https://www.buzzsprout.com/2250931.
“The heavy industrial sector is thriving, and there is robust demand for logistics services, especially in supporting large-scale infrastructure projects, energy, and heavy industry,” says Bahadir Erdil, global projects director and Turkey managing director for Logistics Plus. Bahadir was interviewed for the latest Turkey Country Report in the January/February 2025 edition of Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International magazine. Bahadir says Turkey is making impressive strides in several energy sectors. “The first nuclear power plant is nearing completion, and tenders for the second and third plants are expected soon. In addition to this, there has been steady investment in geothermal, wind, and solar energy, not only for domestic projects but also for exports.”
Logistics Plus Customs Brokerage Manager Gretchen Blough appeared on NPR’s February 27, 2025, edition of Marketplace to discuss the latest tariff updates. With so many uncertainties and daily changes, Gretchen discusses how the Logistics Plus team has to remain flexible and be able to pivot at a moment’s notice.
