LOGISTICS BEYOND
EXPECTATION
IronLink Logistics is not your usual thirdparty logistics (3PL) provider – founded only five years ago, the company has soared in the fiercely competitive market with the right combination of high tech and a personal approach.
David Dembitzer, CEO of IronLink Logistics, who founded the company in 2019, was quite clear from the beginning about the value his business would provide. “We treat our customers like our partners. Their success is our success and we carry that mindset throughout our organisation. We are also highly flexible and adaptable, always ready to accommodate our clients’ changing needs.”
I was trying to find a warehousing solution and just couldn’t find a company that would be seriously interested in listening to what I really needed.
To grow from a small business to a company with 200 people operating nationwide in just five years is a remarkable achievement that surely cannot be attributed merely to a customer-centric approach, a quality almost every business claims to provide these days. But IronLink’s approach is different.
Claiming it is one thing, making it a reality is another, says David, who learned the hard way in the early days of his career. “While working for another company I was trying to find a warehousing solution and just couldn’t find a company that would be seriously interested in listening to what I really needed.”
eHub delivers firstclass software that really helps optimise the direct-to-consumer supply chain.
“All I wanted was to be treated as a human, not as a number. But the communication was always unsatisfactory. In a service industry? Why was nobody servicing me? This frustrating experience was the beginning of my business.”
The human touch
After setting up a small warehouse in California for his own needs, he started offering 3PL as a side service, and watched the business swiftly taking off.
“Really talking to clients, trying to understand their pain points and making an effort to address them was what made us grow from a 7,000 square feet warehousing capability to the current almost 1 million square feet of space.”
“This ethos continues to drive us today. Ultimately, making our customers’ lives easy is what makes us successful – we have been able to grow because we give our customers the peace of mind to focus on their core business,” he says, affirming that personal communication is still key.
“In this time of Zoom and Teams meeting, I still try to visit my partners, my customers, to have a face-to-face chat to find out how we can help them with their logistics needs. The aim is to achieve a reliable personalized service, making sure that our clients receive seamless dependable logistics solutions every single day.”
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Needless to say, this human interaction is fully supported by state-of-the-art technology. David explains that IronLink has a robust technology department and digital warehouse management systems are a must. To further improve efficiencies, just recently the company struck a new partnership with eHub, a provider of tailored 3PL solutions.
“eHub delivers first-class software that really helps optimise the direct-to-consumer supply chain. Data is everything in today’s world and information forms a huge part of direct customer relationships.”
“eHub supplies a fantastic tech solution that allows us as a supply chain provider to leverage data to drive down costs and optimise performance. Although our relationship is still new, I do look forward to seeing what they bring to the table because they offer something that no one else has.”
Solid network
IronLink today offers a comprehensive range of 3PL services, including inventory management, order fulfilment, freight transportation from port and outbound freight worldwide, servicing a diverse customer base of industries and product sectors, with ample warehousing facilities on the West as well as the East Coast.
An important factor that has fuelled business growth is the network of partners the company has built up, which, ultimately, again plays to the advantage of customers. “Building robust networks is essential in our industry and these relationships have been instrumental in delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
“There have been many examples of when our collaborative efforts with key stakeholders have facilitated innovative solutions and streamlined logistics operations, ultimately driving success for our clients. “For example, we once helped a company move 300 large containers from the Port of New Jersey within three weeks as opposed to the planned three months, saving them considerable port storage fees.”
“Another client that has been with us from the very beginning increased their business ten times over those five years, as they say, solely because we allowed them to take away the stress that they had with supply chain and logistics. We take a lot of pride in such client successes,” says David.
Expanding on the East Coast
He reflects that the company grew even during the pandemic, and has been able to deal with the downturn that came after that. “Our company culture allows us to pivot very quickly and to adapt to any change. Adaptability and flexibility are amongst the very aspects that set us apart.”
This approach goes hand in hand with making sure the business is as sustainable and carbon-free as possible. “By leveraging advanced hardware and software solutions and optimising operational efficiency, we try to reduce our carbon footprint. Over 90% of our equipment is now battery-powered.”
‘We have invested in an electric vehicle fleet, anticipating industry shifts and innovating accord-
ingly. As the logistics landscape evolves, we want to stay ahead of the curve and being as sustainable as possible is a major part of that.”
Investment is also being made in business expansion. Last year, a significant milestone was reached with the setting up of a new facility in South Carolina, an investment worth $16.45m that is expected to create 250 jobs in Charleston. “Expanding to South Carolina was a strategic move for us, as clients are moving away from the condensed port areas,” says David.
“We wanted to provide more flexibility, better service and a more cost-effective option to our clients. On top of that, Charleston has a very welcoming atmosphere that feeds to our core values of friendliness and a determination to prioritise customers’ needs.”
Family business
Looking back, David affirms that the success he has achieved over the last five years would not be possible without the support of his family – not only to develop a business that is dynamic and growing, but a business of like-minded, enthusiastic people working towards a common goal.
“We have created a level of team work that reaches across multiple states, across multiple time zones. We are building a company that offers people the opportunity to grow and develop, where people are happy to work every day not because of the money but because they find it fulfilling.”
In concluding, he reflects that while his primary long-term goal is to steer the company towards sustainable growth and innovation, promoting its culture of integrity, excellence and empowerment will remain at the forefront.
“Every single person on the team has the same passion, determined to make a real impact on this industry. Such spirit comes from the top and I’m lucky to have a great leadership team around me who are just as passionate about logistics as I am. I love this business, because every morning presents us with a new challenge, presents us with a new opportunity to be great. And that is the impact I want to leave.”
