Mergers, acquisitions, and business integrations - these are all strategic moves many players in transportation and logistics are incorporating into their own strategic direction. And with this comes the challenges and opportunities of either rebranding, enhancing an existing brand, or building an entirely new brand. A recent example involves Roadrunner Transportation Systems and Ascent Global Logistics, a TMSA member.
Last week, Roadrunner Transportation Systems made the exciting announcement of its business integration to enhance client solutions and scale for future growth. This integration involved five Ascent Global Logistics Operating Companies and Roadrunner Truckload Plus, all of which will be unified under the Ascent Global Logistics segment and brand.
This is a classic case of enhancing an existing brand and building upon corporate reputations that come with those brands. Operating companies to rebrand include Ascent’s Domestic Freight Management companies, Capital Transportation Logistics, Great Northern Transportation Services, Group Transportation Services and MESCA Freight Services, as well as its International Freight Forwarding company, Marisol International. Ascent’s Retail Consolidation company, Prime Distribution Services, will remain co-branded with Ascent Global Logistics.
“This rebranding and integration is consistent with our strategy to more fully integrate successful companies into larger business platforms with expanded go-to-market and information technology capabilities, which immediately benefit our clients and increase our addressable market,” says Curt Stoelting, Roadrunner's CEO. “While the organization names may be changing, our clients will still be able to depend on the premium solutions they have come to expect from our talented logistics teams. Combining the power of Roadrunner Truckload Plus and Ascent Global Logistics couples our asset-backed strength with state-of-the-art technology to provide our clients with additional layers of value and coverage.”
How will operational companies fit into the overall brand?
“The rebranding of five of our operating companies, along with the integration of the Roadrunner Truckload Plus organization into our Domestic Freight Management business, is the continuation of our strategy to make it easier for clients to engage us,” says Bill Goodgion, President of Ascent Global Logistics. “This integration also expands and supports our current offerings by better leveraging our network of approximately 28,000 third-party carriers and our company-owned transportation assets, providing the additional capacity and backing that shippers are demanding. Within Ascent Global Logistics we now have a unique value proposition, when compared to many of our competitors, offering technology-enabled, asset-backed truckload, LTL, flatbed, heavy-haul, international transportation and retail consolidation solutions for our growing client list.”
“Our Ascent Domestic Freight Management integration also expands career and growth opportunities for our team of experienced logistics professionals," continues Cook. "We will continue to operate our current office network with plans to expand our footprint in order to better serve existing as well as future clients. Additionally, we are providing our agents expanded access and growth opportunities in all major transportation modes supported by modern, easy to use technology.”
Throughout 2017, Ascent’s leadership and information technology teams have collaborated to synchronize workflows and technologies to support the migration to one common, propriety IT platform with a sole customer-facing technology, known as PEAK™. PEAK will continue to be expanded throughout 2018 and additional enhancements are already planned for the years ahead.
