3PL news: Transplace expands relationship with Intertape Polymer in Mexico

Transplace, a non asset-based, third-party logistics (3PL) provider of transportation management, truck brokerage, and technology-related logistics services, said this week it has expanded its relationship with packaging company Intertape Polymer Group by expanding operations in Mexico and opening a new distribution center in Monterrey, Mexico.

Transplace officials said that the company will serve as Intertape’s warehousing partner to manage shipments from the distribution center and provide Intertape with the ability to have better insight into and control of its supply chain.

Nearly 20 Transplace employees work at the Monterry-based distribution center.

Intertape vice president Supply Chain Sheldon Ellis said in a statement that before working with Transplace, Intertape would sell to customers in Mexico, with those customers responsible for importing product into Mexico, as well as take on additional transportation costs.

Ellis said this required large customers that were sophisticated and balanced enough to handle complex contracts inhibit Intertape’s ability to reach small to midsize businesses lacking size and scope to manage the transactions.

Troy Ryley, managing director for Transplace Mexico, said in an interview that Transplace had been working on this effort for about six months and cited various examples of how Transplace is working with Intertape to augment Intertape’s warehousing processes.

Ryley said Transplace installed a Warehouse Management System, entitled DaVinci, that is linked directly to Intertape’s ERP system for warehouse control.

“This allows us to setup multiple warehouses all over Mexico with no additional connectivity requirements,” he said. “[And] our WMS ties directly with our TMS, which has been adapted for the Mexico market place. The systems work together to provide extensive control and visibility to cargo movements throughout Mexico. We have several new accounts in both Monterrey and Mexico City since our launch several months ago.”

The relationship between Transplace and Intertape dates back to 2007, when Intertape selectedTransplace as its strategic logistics provider to it reach two primary supply chain goals -cost control and expertise, according to documentation from a Transplace case study, which highlighted how Transplace helped Intertape experience immediate positive results to its supply chain.

Transplace’s Ryley also noted that by leveraging an existing relationship between the two companies in the U.S. prior to collaborating in Mexico, they were able to quickly hit the ground running in Mexico and enable Transplace to deliver transportation management services for Intertape from U.S.-based manufacturing facilities to final destination within Mexico.