Blue Ribbon Transport was founded in 1996 as a sister company to Caito Foods Service, taking over their distribution needs. Over the past decade, though, the Indianapolis-based business has experienced regular double-digit growth as it expanded its horizons into a full-service transportation and logistics operation.
Now they employ approximately 50 people and do roughly $70 million worth of business a year, with a client list that includes familiar brands like Kroger, Dole Vegetables, Driscoll’s strawberries, Harlan Bakeries and more. They also increasingly deliver distribution solutions for non-food companies, and even non-asset based logistics.
“We essentially hear what the customer needs and build a solution around that need,” said President/CEO David Frizzell. “We never want to say to somebody, ‘We don’t do that.’”
Frizzell took over the helm in 2004, and immediately saw the transportation management they were performing for Caito could be extended to other clients. Blue Ribbon Transport does not actually employ the truck drivers or own the fleets, instead subcontracting that out to third parties. What they do is set up the distribution points, organize the schedule of shipments, and constantly search for a way to get goods from Point A to Point B as cheaply as possible.
“Distribution is where the war is won or lost,” Frizzell said, noting that manufacturing costs of many commodities tend to be fairly even. Once customers who had used them for shipping saw their services in related areas, like warehousing refrigerated goods, it opened up a host of opportunities that had previously been missed.
Blue Ribbon is in a controlled growth mode as they explore future possibilities, such as getting their clients to collaborate with each other in cooperative arrangements, searching for more economy in the supply chain. For example, one of the things the company spends a lot of resources on is making sure that trucks that deliver food from agricultural regions to population centers can make the return trip loaded with other goods.
While food products no longer represent all of their pie, it remains their bread-and-butter, business-wise. And Frizzell says that will always be so.
“Food has been very good for us, because even in downturns of the economy people still have to eat. They may eat differently — they may not eat as much fresh strawberries, but they’re still going to buy their staples,” he said. “Strategically, we always want to stay in food and we always want to have a strong food portfolio.”
About three years ago as Blue Ribbon Transport was continuing to stake a separate corporate identity from Caito, Frizzell brought in Sponsel CPA Group to focus on their growing mission. This included bringing in a new controller, as well as additional needs for tax advice, audit services and setting up capital groups to provide the resources to expand their horizons.
“Nick Hopkins and his group came in and gave us exactly what we were looking for, which was a very personal experience. We know we mean something to them,” Frizzell said. “Sometimes with other accounting firms you feel like you’re just number. Nick goes over everything with us in person, and nothing ever waits to the 11th hour.”
Rather than waiting for a call when help is needed, Hopkins is very proactive and is constantly bringing new ideas to the table, according to Frizzell. “They’re trying to give us what we need to grow, and always adding value to the relationship.”