thoughtleaders
BY MITCH MAC DONALD, GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Creating a
winning 3PL
relationship
INTERVIEW WITH
MARK E. RICHARDS
Want to build a
strong bond with your
3PL? Follow these six
steps, says 3PL exec
Mark Richards.
OVER THE YEARS, MARK E. RICHARDS HAS DONE A LOT OF THINK-
ing about the right way to choose a third-party logistics service provider—
thinking he has now distilled into a simple six-step process.
In formulating those steps, Richards has drawn on his vast experience in
logistics, having worked in the field for more than 30 years. His first job was
with a multicity public warehouse company, Distribution Centers Inc. He
went on to work for such companies as Nabisco, Gillette, and Oral-B. He is
currently the vice president of Associated Warehouses, a consortium of more
than 50 third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) operating over 110 million square feet of space in North America and Europe.
Throughout his career, Richards has been actively involved with industry
groups like the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC),
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), and
International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA). He was appointed to
the CSCMP executive committee at the 1999 Annual Conference and served as
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