Paul Thompson Recognized for Strategic Vision, Committed Passion for Excellence in Client Services
HICKORY, NC (October 3, 2018) – Transportation Insight, a global Enterprise Logistics Provider and end-to-end supply chain strategist, announces that Founder and Chairman Paul Thompson is the Lenoir-Rhyne University 2018 Business Leader of the Year. The Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council honors Thompson for his strategic vision to build a company that helps businesses innovate their supply chain processes to enhance value and increase efficiencies. At the same time, Thompson is a strong proponent for the Hickory Metro where Transportation Insight established its corporate campus with the goal of attracting the best and brightest logistics and supply chain industry talent.
“Paul leads a business that prides itself on excellence and integrity, two values we hold deeply at Lenoir-Rhyne,” said University President Dr. Fred Whitt. “This approach also overflows into Paul’s work in the Hickory community, where he is actively involved in strengthening the community and partnering with local schools and businesses.”
Each year, the Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council recognizes an individual who exemplifies the outstanding gifts of leadership within his or her business as well as within the surrounding community. Representing a partnership between businesses, educational organizations and the University, the Lenoir Rhyne Business Council works to enhance the region’s quality of life and to provide mutually beneficial opportunities for all groups to prosper.
“Transportation Insight has continued to grow since its founding 20 years ago because we fill a need in the marketplace. Our people have a passion and commitment to customer service and helping businesses to sustain growth,” Thompson says. “Our goal is to become the largest and most highly respected Enterprise Logistics Provider in North America, while remaining committed to creating a unique environment here in Hickory to become the preferred place to work in the area. Our corporate campus is an excellent place for trained professionals to work and grow in their careers. It is an honor to be recognized by the Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council as Business Leader of the Year.”
Transportation Insight’s commitment to the Hickory Metro closely aligns with motivations driving the Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council. Working together to revitalize the Hickory Metro’s business community, Transportation Insight and other businesses rely on an educated workforce to fill positions within the area’s growing job market. As part of the company’s Vision 20/20 growth plan to become a $3.5 to $5 billion company by January 1, 2020, Thompson led the revitalization of the Lyerly Full Fashioned Mill to create the Transportation Insight Corporate Campus and Olde Hickory Mill Park, situated less than a mile from Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Hickory campus. Olde Hickory Mill Park features Transportation Insight’s global headquarters and operations for sister company BirdDog, a transactional transportation solutions provider. A gym, athletic field and exercise facilities available for associate use are also part of the 11-acre downtown corporate campus.
Thompson is lead supporter and strategic advisor for non-profit organizations IChurch, Safe Harbor Rescue Mission and Restore Global and its Access to Excess Program. He is past board chairman of Hickory Christian Academy, and was critical to the development of the Academy’s Hickory campus, as well as the campus for Harvest Bible Chapel. He currently serves on the board of Boone-based Wine to Water, and he is the head of Strategic Advisers for Samaritan’s Feet, to which Transportation Insight provides logistics and transportation services at no cost. He was instrumental in establishing the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship at Appalachian State University. Thompson is the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Southeast Region and 2016 Business North Carolina Cultural Leader of the Year. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with honors in industrial engineering and has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in the supply chain, logistics and transportation industry.
Transportation Insight is nationally recognized for its achievements in supply chain analytics and technologies, undergirded by its Extended LEAN® continuous improvement methodology for the extended supply chain. The Enterprise Logistics Provider’s signature Co-managed Logistics® approach allows its supply chain strategists to work with clients as a strategic partner, while allowing functional leaders to choose their level of control with existing carrier relationships. Transportation Insight’s portfolio of end-to-end supply chain solutions enables it to offer comprehensive supply chain management within one operational ecoscape that includes multi-modal (Parcel, LTL, Truckload) domestic logistics management, international logistics as a licensed Ocean Freight Forwarder and trade compliance consultant, proprietary freight and parcel invoice auditing systems, supply chain reporting and analytics and an extensive North American warehouse network. The company’s blended technology platform delivers a complete view of the global supply chain from the foreign vendor’s floor to the end customer’s door, mitigating global risks to keep supply chains moving. Transportation Insight received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWayÒ Excellence Award for its dedication to driving operational improvements that reduce a shippers’ impact on the environment.
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Business Council was established in 1983 to promote a better understanding of Lenoir-Rhyne and its programs within the business community; to provide unique learning opportunities for students and businesses; and to support giving programs at Lenoir-Rhyne. The University is the alma mater of several Transportation Insight associates, including at least four recent graduates hired in the past 18 months. Transportation Insight Executive Vice President of Enterprise Business Solutions Ken Wacker recently accepted an invitation to join the Business Council’s Board of Directors.
About Transportation Insight, LLC
Transportation Insight is a multi-modal, lead logistics provider with $3.9 billion in logistics spend under management. For nearly 20 years, the Enterprise Logistics Solutions Provider has partnered with manufacturers, retailers and distributors to achieve significant cost savings, reduce cycle times and improve customer satisfaction rates by providing customized supply chain solutions. Transportation Insight offers a Co-managed Logistics® form of 3PL, carrier sourcing, freight bill audit and payment services, state-of-the-art transportation management system (TMS) applications, parcel technology platform (audit, engineering, advanced analytics) and business intelligence. Serving over 1,500 clients, its logistics services portfolio includes domestic transportation, e-commerce solutions, supply chain analytics, international transportation, warehouse sourcing, LEAN consulting and supply chain sourcing of indirect materials including secondary packaging. Headquartered in Hickory, NC, Transportation Insight has secondary operating centers in Atlanta, GA, Bentonville, AR, Boston, MA, Charlotte, NC, Omaha, NE, Overland Park, KS and Salt Lake City, UT; service centers in Canton, OH, Charlotte, NC and St. Louis, MO; and more than 50 client support offices across North America. For more about Transportation Insight, visit www.transportationinsight.com, email info@transportationinsight.com or call 833-421-0433.