Champion Transportation Folds in Fulfillment Firm to Increase Service Options
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/14/2004
Champion Transportation Services, an exhibit transportation company, will merge with Just In Time Fulfillment Services on July 1 to form a new company called the Champion Logistics Group. Financial details were not disclosed.
It's actually more of a melding than a merger, explained Tom Beard, the new firm's vice president of marketing and sales, the same position he held with Champion Transportation. "Both companies have been under the same ownership, although they were separately operated," he said.
That's all changed now because, said Beard, Champion Transportation's customers were asking for more services — the type that sister company Just In Time provided, such as warehousing; fulfillment services; storage and distribution of promotional items and point of sale material; kit assembly; and third-party logistics services.
The combined companies will offer these and a full range of exhibit transportation services. There will be few personnel changes, he said.
"I told the owner that we should merge and put everything under one name, and not market as separate companies anymore," said Beard. "This is better for our overall marketing efforts."
The Champion Logistics Group is headquartered in Northlake, Ill., where both companies previously had their offices in the same building. Two of Champion's largest branches, in Los Angeles and Boston, will offer the full range of combined services. Smaller facilities in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Las Vegas and Newark, N.J. will offer the same services on a smaller scale.
