Armstrong Brings Transportation Back In-House

Sometimes it’s best to control your own destiny. Just ask the transportation team at Armstrong World Industries, a 150-year-old flooring, ceiling, and cabinet manufacturer based in Lancaster, Pa.

After outsourcing its transportation functions to a major third-party logistics provider (3PL) in January 2007, the logistics department of the $2.8 billion company quickly realized—in less than a year—that the new partnership was not going to pan out. In short: The arrangement was not meeting Armstrong’s established cost and service goals.

“The biggest flaw was that our 3PL took a one-size-fitsall approach,” says Marcus Smith, Armstrong’s manager of transportation procurement. “We have specialized needs, especially in truck equipment. We use flatbeds, dry vans, driver-assisted vehicles, and short, straight trucks in and out of New York City. They didn’t appreciate the complexity of our business.”

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