iGPS Selects Ryder to Provide Supply Chain Services for Industry's First All-Plastic Pallet Pool With Built-in RFID Tracking
Ryder to Provide Distribution, Transportation Management and Real-Time Tracking of up to 60,000,000 Pallets Annually
ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 9 -- Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS Company LLC), operator of the world's first RFID-tagged all- plastic pallet pool, today announced that it has selected Ryder System, Inc. , a global leader in supply chain, warehousing and transportation management solutions, as its supply chain logistics partner.
"At iGPS, we partner with best-of-breed providers, and Ryder's world class infrastructure, sophisticated carrier management information system and knowledge of logistics and transportation solutions will drive improvements and transportation efficiencies throughout the supply chain while ensuring quality customer service," said Bob Moore, Chief Executive Officer of iGPS. "Solidifying this long-term relationship ensures that our logistics operations are handled by experts who are committed to providing our customers with the timely and efficient delivery of pallets to meet their supply chain needs. This class of capability did not exist just a few years ago."
Under the contract, Ryder will provide distribution and RFID (radio frequency identification) tracking for as many as 60,000,000 pallets annually to iGPS customers throughout North America. Ryder will develop and manage a Web-enabled transportation and procurement solution based on iGPS' business parameters to optimize the inbound and outbound network of transportation carriers supporting the Company's North American operations. Additionally, Ryder will provide on-site management, procurement of transportation, routing instructions, compliance management and freight bill audit and payment.
"The industrial sector has been asking for a more cost-effective pallet option for tracking and shipping," said Vicki O'Meara, President of Ryder U.S. Supply Chain Solutions. "Ryder is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with industry veterans Bob Moore and Rex Lowe to help lead this innovative shift from wood to plastic throughout the global supply chain. We are confident that our experience with logistics and RFID technology will add value to the iGPS operations and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Bob and his team."
iGPS is spearheading a paradigm shift in the pallet-rental business from wood and other materials to uniform plastic pallets with RFID tracking capabilities. Powerful advantages exist for virtually all industries, such as beverage, consumer electronics, grocery/consumer packaged goods, home improvement/do-it-yourself, pharmaceutical, produce/meat and raw ingredients. The advantages of iGPS pallets include their greater durability; consistent size, shape and quality; lighter weight; superior hygiene and traceability.
Additionally, the shift from wood to plastic pallets is environmentally responsible. iGPS plastic pallets are 100 percent recyclable and, because they are 30 percent lighter than pallets made of wood, could remove several billion pounds of non-value freight from the shipping and supply chain infrastructure, resulting in huge potential fuel savings.
About iGPS
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with operations in Dallas, Texas, iGPS (www.igps-usa.com) is the first company to provide manufacturers and retailers with an RFID-tagged all-plastic pallet pool. Launched in March 2006, the company is led by industry veteran Bob Moore, chief executive officer, and an executive team with over 60 years of combined experience in pallet rental, logistics and supply-chain management.
About Ryder
Ryder is a Fortune 500 company providing leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Ryder's stock is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about Ryder System, Inc., visit www.ryder.com.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements and information included in this press release are "forward-looking statements" under the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration given to the many risks and uncertainties inherent in our business that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, among others, our ability to obtain adequate profit margins for our services, our inability to maintain current pricing levels due to customer acceptance or competition, customer retention levels, unexpected volume declines, loss of key customers in the Supply Chain Solutions (SCS) business segment, our failure to successfully implement new sales growth initiatives in our FMS business segment, unexpected reserves or write-offs due to the deterioration of the credit worthiness or bankruptcy of certain customers in our SCS business segment, changes in financial, tax or regulatory requirements or changes in customers' business environments that will limit their ability to commit to long-term vehicle leases, changes in market conditions affecting the commercial rental market or the sale of used vehicles, the effect of severe weather events, labor strikes or work stoppages affecting our or our customers' business operations, adequacy of accounting estimates and accruals particularly with respect to pension, taxes and revenue, changes in general economic conditions, sudden changes in fuel prices, availability of qualified drivers, our ability to manage our cost structure, changes in government regulations including regulations regarding vehicle emissions and the risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The risks included here are not exhaustive. New risks emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risks on our business. Accordingly, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.