A Day in the Life: Shipping and Logistics 

My name is Michael Catalano. I'm the logistics and operations manager. My general responsibilities are managing inbound and outbound shipments, both imported and domestic. I also deal with any customer-related issues that come through, including transferring product to warehouses across the United States. 

On a typical day, I start by addressing any customer issues that need immediate attention. We continuously monitor shipments going in and out of our facilities while looking for ways to better satisfy our customers. The biggest challenge we face daily is having the right product in the right place for incoming customers. While there are small bumps along the way, we do everything possible to ensure customer satisfaction, getting the product to them in good condition and as timely as possible. 

Here's how our order process works: When an order comes in from either sales or online, it goes through the accounting office, where it's entered into the system. The order is then strategically marked for the appropriate warehouse. Once entered, it receives a status indicating whether we have inventory available. When the inventory is confirmed, the logistics office takes over. We contact the customer to confirm they're ready for their lift, schedule the delivery, and send tracking information so they can prepare for arrival. 

Our Advantage line is manufactured in Shanghai, China. Once production is complete, we're notified and we contact our forwarder, who picks up the product from our plant and loads it into containers. These containers are shipped to various ports across the United States and delivered to our warehouses. From there, we either distribute to other warehouses or ship directly to customers. 

Our Backyard Buddy brand is manufactured in Warren, Ohio. We distribute these products across the United States, either directly to customers or through our warehouse network. Our warehouse locations maintain stocking inventory, though not all warehouses carry every product – some locations stock more variety than others. 

From these warehouses, we ship to terminals across the United States, always trying to find the terminal closest to our customer. These terminals are operated by LTL (Less Than Load) carriers. Once we ship from a warehouse to a terminal, the carrier contacts the customer to arrange pickup. 

The most rewarding part of logistics for me throughout the years has been watching the flow of materials run smoothly through the system. The smoother we get it, the happier I am!