[ I N P R A C T I C E ]
CASEBOOK
3PL Partnership Turns Up the Heat
BBQGrills.com, which offers premium grilling and outdoor kitchen products, launched in 2019 and quickly found a ready market. While its growth was largely a benefit, it also meant the company soon needed additional support in various functions, including transportation.
THE CUSTOMER: Launched in 2019, BBQGrills.com is a family-owned, operated, and “argued-over” online retailer of gas grills, outdoor kitchen equipment, and other outdoor patio-related items in California. THE PROVIDER: Coyote Logistics, a global third- party logistics provider, manages full truckload, LTL, intermodal, air and ocean, and cross-border freight for a variety of industries including automotive, CPG, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing and retail.
maintaining customer satisfaction and continuing to nurture future growth. As BBQGrills.com moved into 2021, Maltbie decided to step back from handling some daily operations so he could focus on maintaining business growth. One area that needed to change so the company could continue to enjoy increasing demand for its products was shipping and transportation. BBQGrills.com needed a provider of LTL shipping services that covered the United States, offered quality customer service, reasonable pricing, and in-depth transportation expertise. IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT PRICE As with most business relationships, price was a critical consideration. Yet when working with many LTL providers, Maltbie notes he often encountered an overwhelming focus on cost, and less attention to the ways in which a solution could boost ef ciency and save time. These attributes are often just as critical for many businesses, and especially those experiencing rapid growth. Moreover, even as some providers emphasized price, they sometimes
Ryan Maltbie, founder of the Brentwood, California-based company, turned to Coyote Logistics. A global third- party logistics provider, Coyote Logistics took on responsibility for handling BBQGrills.com’s less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. This enabled Maltbie and his team to focus on continuing to grow the business. Few business experts would recommend launching a company just a few months prior to a pandemic. And while many businesses have struggled over the past two years, BBQGrills.com ourished. COVID lockdowns and concerns about safety prompted millions to stay home, and the market of people interested in adding to or upgrading their outdoor kitchens and grills proved resilient. Sales of the company’s grills, smokers, pizza ovens, re pits, and other items for outdoor living took off, topping $1 million the rst year, Maltbie says. Discovering an enthusiastic market for a company’s products is a coveted accomplishment, yet it brings its own challenges. The company must effectively manage rapidly growing operations, while
by Karen Kroll
January 2022 • Inbound Logistics 265
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