Penske Logistics has won the contract to operate and manage Kroger’s 600,000 square foot refrigerated food distribution facility located in West Shelbyville, Ind. Penske officially began operating the facility July 21.Penske Logistics has hired the 816 existing workers at the facility including those represented by Teamsters Local 135.
“We’re excited to have earned this new business opportunity and to serve the needs of such a well-respected company like Kroger,” said Marc Althen, Penske Logistics president.
“We’ve continued to diversify our portfolio of customers over the last several years to include warehousing and distribution center operations for leading food, beverage and grocery customers in North America, Europe and Asia,” he added.
Penske is one of the leading providers of distribution center management and warehousing solutions. Penske uses its logistics engineering expertise, technology and industry best practices to optimize millions of square feet of warehousing space and inventory for its customers around the world.
Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs more than 339,000 associates who serve customers in 2,422 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates convenience stores, fine jewelry stores, supermarket fuel centers and food processing plants in the U.S.
By "Move Ahead" Staff
My wife goes for walks all the time for exercise - but these walks rarely generate cost savings initiatives that can reduce our family’s household expenses and improve our savings rate.
Customer KPI's
Slow growth, inconsistent freight volumes and businesses that are doing more with less have created a new way of life for the logistics and supply chain sectors for the foreseeable future.
Althen estimates only about a 3 percent drag on productivity at Penske Logistics as a result of the new HOS regulations noting that it will require some additional driver recruiting efforts. He also noted Penske Logistics has a low turnover rate for drivers compared with the industry, which averages about 17 percent.
Taking that first step to introducing natural gas vehicles (NGVs) into a company’s truck fleet is by no means an easy decision with myriad dynamics to analyze when taking that next step.
For each Penske customer that Cullen has assisted when making the decision to incorporate NGVs into its existing truck fleet, it comes down to differing factors, each weighted separately.
“The UTI Foundation is thrilled to partner with Penske Truck Leasing on this important scholarship,” said Veronica Meury, UTI Foundation Vice President and Executive Director. “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of diesel service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow 15 percent between now and 2020.
