A Jacksonville logistics company, whose growth caught the eye of Gov. Rick Scott, has aggressive plans for future expansion.
SunteckTTS, which provides logistics management services for third-party and agent-based transportation businesses, plans to build on a major acquisition it made in 2016.
In December, Jacksonville-based Sunteck Transportation Group announced it was merging with TTS LLC, headquartered in Frisco, Texas.
Executives said Tuesday the combined operation now has more than $1 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the largest logistics companies in the U.S.
“We’re the eighth-largest out of thousands of brokerage firms across the United States,” said Dave Dallas, chief marketing officer and president of brokerage for SunteckTTS.
He said Sunteck targeted TTS because they essentially provided the same type of services.
“It made good sense in an industry where size matters and there’s a lot of consolidation,” Dallas said.
This year, Dallas said that strategy will continue.
“We’re pretty aggressive,” he said. “I can tell you, we’re looking to acquire companies, we’re looking to sign on new agents.”
Dallas said the company provides services to independent contractors they’re not necessarily good at doing on their own. “Invoicing, handling receivables, insurance for trucks, that sort of thing,” he said.
Dallas said the new company directly employs about 230 people at its Jacksonville headquarters, in Butler Pointe at 4500 Salisbury Road, and more indirectly.
“That number is probably closer to 1,000 when you take employees that are independent contractors, who are exclusively working with us,” he said.
Over the past two years, SunteckTTS has added 80 full-time positions in Jacksonville, a move that prompted a visit Tuesday from Gov. Scott, who was touting his own job-creating credentials.
Scott, joined by Mayor Lenny Curry, praised the company for its growth, handing CEO Ken Forster the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award.
“Because of businesses like SunteckTTS, we’ve added 1.3 million jobs in six years and three months,” Scott said. “Congratulations on your success.”
“It’s always a good day in Jacksonville when we’ve got a company that’s here increasing the employee base,” Curry aid.
Like every industry, change is constant as new competitors and technology emerge.
Companies like Amazon.com, which has a growing footprint in Jacksonville, continue to dent the logistics industry.
Also, Dallas said he’s keeping an eye on automation that he calls the “Uberization” of the industry.
Dallas said they aren’t considered huge threats.
“We’re more concerned about the impact we have on the market, and not what impact the market has on us,” he said.
As far as growing in Jacksonville, Dallas and Forster said the area is earning the title of “America’s Logistics Hub”.
“We’re always very successful in recruiting people here to Jacksonville,” Forster said. “We’re very happy with where we’re at.”
Dallas said last year’s merger sent a strong message to the competition.
“I think our merger with the group out in Texas kind of shows our seriousness to be in this business for the very long haul,” he said.
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