BJ Patterson, founder and CEO of Pacific Mountain Logistics, shares 32 years of warehousing and logistics experience. BJ started as a temp at Target's 1.3-million-square-foot DC in Fontana, California, moved through Walmart and NFI, then launched his own 3PL during the 2009 recession. He breaks down how to think about supply chains as a pipe rather than a chain, why the best operators make their clients look like heroes, and how to build a 3PL operation from an empty box.
TOPICS COVERED:
- The "supply pipe" concept and why thinking in continuous flow changes inventory planning
- Going from corporate logistics at Target and Walmart to running your own 3PL
- Starting a logistics company during the 2009 recession and why downturns lower the barrier to entry
- Primary, secondary, and tertiary distribution markets in the US
- Why warehouse automation augments workers rather than replacing them
- Building the ideal 3PL: 250-300K SF, omnichannel clients, wraparound services
- What separates a good warehouse from a great one
- Why most 3PL operators don't truly understand their per-client profitability
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
4:40 The "Supply Pipe": Flow-Through vs. Stock Inventory
8:23 BJ's Origin Story: Target, Walmart, and NFI
12:28 Make Your Client Look Like the Hero
21:50 The Entrepreneurial Seizure: Starting Pacific Mountain Logistics
27:54 Today's Market vs. 2008
38:05 Southern California Warehouse Market
44:30 The Amazon Effect: How E-Commerce Changed Warehousing
49:45 Warehouse Automation and the Labor Gap
58:00 How to Build the Ideal 3PL
1:09:57 Good vs. Great Warehouses
1:14:48 3PL Predictions for the Next 5 Years
ABOUT THE GUEST:
BJ Patterson is the founder and CEO of Pacific Mountain Logistics, a full-service 3PL in San Bernardino, California, with 32 years in warehousing and logistics including senior roles at Target, Walmart, and NFI.
KEY TERMS:
3PL, third-party logistics, warehouse operations, supply chain, Pacific Mountain Logistics, Inland Empire, omnichannel fulfillment, e-commerce fulfillment, warehouse automation, autonomous mobile robots, distribution markets, starting a logistics company, per-client profitability, warehouse labor shortage, FBA prep
Supply Chain Saga is produced by Mark Taylor, CEO of Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving omni-channel e-commerce brands that sell through marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify, as well as retail partners like Nordstrom, Scheels, and Bass Pro Shops.
Website: warehouserepublic.com
Podcast: supplychainsaga.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/warehouse-republic
Host: linkedin.com/in/marktaylor
Have a logistics question? Email [email protected]
