Four Seasons' logistics company blossoming
February 26, 2008
Four Seasons Produce, a full-line produce distributor based in Ephrata, PA, expanded its service offerings to customers in the summer of 2006 when it formed Sunrise Logistics.
Now, a year-and-a-half later, the wholly owned subsidiary of Four Seasons is making a name for itself in the industry for the breadth of high-level service it offers.
Chuck Holt, general manager of Sunrise Logistics, said that the entity was born out of the fact that customers would see Four Seasons' trucks on the roads, and "we began to receive inquiries from customers about cross- docking and deliveries. We started by doing favors for people, and it evolved [into a separate business]."
Sunrise Logistics offers a full slate of transportation and logistics services, including procurement, transloading, cross-docking, container movement, intermodal and just-in-time regional deliveries. It has a fleet of 90 vehicles, and handles local and nationwide deliveries.
"We'll do everything," said Mr. Holt. "We'll pick up loads for clients, transport them back to our warehouses, store them, pack them and then distribute them."
Bland Farms in Vidalia, GA, has been a customer of Sunrise Logistics since its inception in July 2006, said Richard Pazderski, sales manager of Bland Farms. "They always do a great job," said Mr. Pazderski. "We never have to worry about them."
Mr. Pazderski said that Bland's imported onions are received at the port of Philadelphia, where Sunrise picks them up and transports them to its facility in Ephrata, PA. There, they are stored, packed on a per-order basis and distributed under the "Bland Farms" label.
He added that the staff at Sunrise is "extremely knowledgeable and really easy to work with. We just call them up and tell them what we need, and they get it done."
While the majority of Sunrise's business is in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, Mr. Holt said that some of the more recent growth has come from the West Coast.
"Since October, we have gotten six or seven new firms from the West Coast," he said, adding that more companies are using Sunrise Logistics because they want a bigger presence on the East Coast but don't want to incur the expense of building a facility or opening an office in the region.
John Bayliss, logistics manager for Salinas, CA-based Mann Packing Co., which began using Sunrise Logistics in early January, echoed the high praise for Sunrise Logistics.
"We had been using Verdelli Farms, but when they were acquired by Fresh Express, we had to vacate due to the high volume of 'Fresh Express' products being handled at the Verdelli facility," he said.
Mr. Bayliss said that he had searched for logistics providers in the area, but none offered the advantages of Sunrise.
"Sunrise employs the latest technology as it pertains to inventory control and transportation," said Mr. Bayliss. "They were superior to anyone else we looked at."
Mr. Bayliss added that since Sunrise is owned by Four Seasons, the staff knows the produce industry well, which is a big advantage. "When we decided to use Sunrise, it was a nearly seamless transition from Verdelli."
Mr. Holt, who worked for 26 years in operations and logistics at the Hershey Co. in Hershey, PA, was brought on board by Four Seasons specifically to start Sunrise Logistics. Mike Janiszewski is logistics manager who also handles business development. The Sunrise team is rounded out by eight account representatives and several members of the support staff.
A full description of the services offered by Sunrise Logistics can be found at www.sunriselogisticsinc.com.
Now, a year-and-a-half later, the wholly owned subsidiary of Four Seasons is making a name for itself in the industry for the breadth of high-level service it offers.
Chuck Holt, general manager of Sunrise Logistics, said that the entity was born out of the fact that customers would see Four Seasons' trucks on the roads, and "we began to receive inquiries from customers about cross- docking and deliveries. We started by doing favors for people, and it evolved [into a separate business]."
Sunrise Logistics offers a full slate of transportation and logistics services, including procurement, transloading, cross-docking, container movement, intermodal and just-in-time regional deliveries. It has a fleet of 90 vehicles, and handles local and nationwide deliveries.
"We'll do everything," said Mr. Holt. "We'll pick up loads for clients, transport them back to our warehouses, store them, pack them and then distribute them."
Bland Farms in Vidalia, GA, has been a customer of Sunrise Logistics since its inception in July 2006, said Richard Pazderski, sales manager of Bland Farms. "They always do a great job," said Mr. Pazderski. "We never have to worry about them."
Mr. Pazderski said that Bland's imported onions are received at the port of Philadelphia, where Sunrise picks them up and transports them to its facility in Ephrata, PA. There, they are stored, packed on a per-order basis and distributed under the "Bland Farms" label.
He added that the staff at Sunrise is "extremely knowledgeable and really easy to work with. We just call them up and tell them what we need, and they get it done."
While the majority of Sunrise's business is in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, Mr. Holt said that some of the more recent growth has come from the West Coast.
"Since October, we have gotten six or seven new firms from the West Coast," he said, adding that more companies are using Sunrise Logistics because they want a bigger presence on the East Coast but don't want to incur the expense of building a facility or opening an office in the region.
John Bayliss, logistics manager for Salinas, CA-based Mann Packing Co., which began using Sunrise Logistics in early January, echoed the high praise for Sunrise Logistics.
"We had been using Verdelli Farms, but when they were acquired by Fresh Express, we had to vacate due to the high volume of 'Fresh Express' products being handled at the Verdelli facility," he said.
Mr. Bayliss said that he had searched for logistics providers in the area, but none offered the advantages of Sunrise.
"Sunrise employs the latest technology as it pertains to inventory control and transportation," said Mr. Bayliss. "They were superior to anyone else we looked at."
Mr. Bayliss added that since Sunrise is owned by Four Seasons, the staff knows the produce industry well, which is a big advantage. "When we decided to use Sunrise, it was a nearly seamless transition from Verdelli."
Mr. Holt, who worked for 26 years in operations and logistics at the Hershey Co. in Hershey, PA, was brought on board by Four Seasons specifically to start Sunrise Logistics. Mike Janiszewski is logistics manager who also handles business development. The Sunrise team is rounded out by eight account representatives and several members of the support staff.
A full description of the services offered by Sunrise Logistics can be found at www.sunriselogisticsinc.com.
