Chicago's Leader in Warehousing and Distribution, Presents its Blog:

 Neill Cartage and Warehouse - Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company. Servicing the Midwest since 1946.

Many company’s supply chain will incorporate some warehousing function. This can be company-owned, owned by a third party logistics (3PL) company or could be a public warehouse. At certain times, extra warehouse space is required due to any number of factors. Whatever the reason the use of public warehousing is a useful tool for the supply chain manager as they try to find the greatest efficiencies in the supply chain.

The public warehouse is not only a facility where a company can store their products, but the public warehouse offers inventory management, physical inventory counts and shipping functionality. The public warehouse charges their clients for a certain rate for the goods stored, the volume of the warehouse used and the services the client wishes to use. The company using the public warehouse does not have to employ warehouse staff, does not require any inventory software or warehouse equipment. The owner of the public warehouse is responsible for the costs and passes this on to their clients based on the rate they are charged.

Although most companies see public warehousing as a short-term solution it can often turn into a long-term relationship as companies been accustomed to convenience of the public warehouse services. Companies that own and operate public warehouses, invest significantly in modern facilities to remain competitive. They offer clients increasing levels of flexibility in order to retain and attract additional clients. Public warehouses offer companies a range of labor solutions including picking, packing, inventory control software and dedicated workforce. Public warehouses will also allow clients to bring in their own warehouse software so that the public warehouse becomes a satellite location with real-time data.

Criteria for Choosing A Public Warehouse

Because of the increasing competition between the public warehouse operators, potential clients should review the capabilities of each potential warehouse to identify which would be the best fit. Each client will have a number of factors that need to be considered when selecting a public warehouse. Companies have a variety of reasons why they require an outside warehouse, as well as their short-term and long-term needs and the price they are willing to pay for the service. However, the majority of the following criteria is likely to be used by all companies comparing public warehouse sites.

• Geography
• Technology
• Customer Service
• Expansion
• Company Network
• Flexibility

 Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company. Servicing the Midwest since 1946.

If you are operating a company and you want to make a cost effective choice and streamline your supply chain management, Illinois warehousing may be just the thing you are looking for. There are many benefits of Illinois warehousing, which is both efficient and affordable for companies of all sizes.

So, what are some of the benefits of Illinois warehousing that your company can enjoy if you decide to explore public warehousing options?

• Convenient, central location. You can choose a public warehousing provider located where your operations, where your customers are, or just about anywhere you choose.  This allows you to make sure your items are there when you need them and easy to distribute.

• Top-notch customer service. When you choose a reliable Illinois warehousing provider with a strong history in public warehousing, you can be confident that you are in good hands. Good customer service means you will always have the information you need at your fingertips (as will your customers) and you can focus on other things.

• Maximum in flexibility. You can typically engage in rental services for a short period of time or for a long period of time- that way, you only use public warehousing services when you need to and you aren't wasting money on unnecessary space. You can increase and decrease your usage based on need and avoid a strict contract that doesn't properly meet your company's needs.

• Safety: Reputable Illinois warehouse companies are bonded and insured so you do not have to worry about the safety of our items in the case of fire, flood or natural disaster.

• Faster deliveries. In many cases, because of the efficiencies built into the public warehousing process, the large volume handled by public warehouses, the established customer-service methods in place and the convenient locations, your items can be shipped to their end destination faster. This can help to make customers happy as they receive their items in a more timely manner.

• Up-to the-minute tracking and information. A good Illinois public warehousing facility will provide you with detailed tracking and reporting information when you need it. This helps you to ensure that everything is operating smoothly, and to understand where your items are and how efficient your supply chain is.

These are just some of the many benefits of choosing Illinois warehousing. Putting your warehousing and shipping in the hands of professionals is just smart business as it frees your company and employees up to work on other endeavors to grow and strengthen your company. Whether you have a small amount of cargo or many thousands of pounds of cargo each and every week, there is a public warehousing option available for you.

Contact Illinois's Leading Warehousing and Distribution company:

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is a full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Neill has been operating in the Chicago market since 1946. Currently Neill operates over 350,000 sqft of public warehouse space with rail access to the Union Pacific Rail Road (UP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail Road (BNSF).    

The “Midwest” of the United States is one of the most important logistics corridors in the country, and just about any logistics company that matters has some presence in this region.  Chicago, is the third largest freight handler in the world, and the single largest rail transfer in the United States.  The Midwest is home to professional 3PL logistic service companies, strategically located to best service the Midwest region.  A Midwest 3PL’s / warehouse creates a strong anchor in a nationwide warehousing and distribution network.

The Midwest has long been a logistics stronghold and you can find quality third party logistics companies providing public and contracted warehousing, distribution, freight management, and inventory management throughout the Midwest.  Neill Cartage and Warehouse has been servicing the Midwest since 1946, with reliable and cost effective solutions.

Click Here: To discuss your logistic needs with a highly experienced professional from Neill Cartage and Warehouse.  

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is pleased to announce the opening of a new facility.  With the growing needs of current and new clients Neill is opening another warehouse located in Hodgkins, IL (I-55 & 294) on the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) railroad.  Neill Warehouse is one Chicago’s full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946.  This new facility will give clients the opportunity to ship BNSF direct into the Chicago market.  Neill is excited about the opportunity to help better service our customers.

Services provided at this facility: contract and public warehousing, rail and intermodal cross-dock handling, freight consolidation and forwarding, LTL and Truckload deliveries, private – fleet management and leasing.       

Commodities Handled: Paper Products, Chemicals, and several other general commodities.  

You can count on Neill, to get you moving in the right direction…on time…all the time!

Neill Cartage and Warehouse has implemented a Customer Referral Incentive Program that gives our customers the opportunity to save on future warehousing or shipments when they refer others to our services.

How The Program Works

For every new customer referral that results in the referred company establishing credit with Neill Cartage and Warehouse and stores product with us or moves freight with us, we will give the customer that provided the referral $100 - $500 credit, depending on the amount of work the referral does with Neill!

This is an ongoing offer that applies to any new companies that are referred. There’s no limit, as long as the referral establishes credit and moves or stores product with Neill Cartage and Warehouse. Here’s the process:

• Step 1: You refer a potential customer.
• Step 2: Referral establishes credit with Neill.
• Step 3: Referral moves or stores freight with Neill.
• Step 4: You receive a $100-$500 discount / gift card!

Remember, you can take advantage of this offer many times over. It pays to let others know about the perks of using Neill Cartage and Warehouse!

Call Us

Call us at 1-708-547-7676 to learn more about our referral program, or send us an email at info@neillcartage.com and we will contact you to answer any questions you may have.

Neill Cartage and Warehouse is Chicago's premier full service logistics, warehousing, and distribution company.  Servicing the Midwest since 1946. 

Neill Cartage and other public warehouses act as 3rd party logistics locations (3PL) for companies who desire to outsource their storage, transportation, and other related job function. These 3PL's put the concerns and or welfare of several companies under one roof.  Managed by a trained and skilled staff that makes each of the companies that they serve a priority, with the customers of these companies being their major concern. Advanced technology helps the trained associates keep an accurate account of each and every company’s inventory.  The job of labeling, packing, shipping and distributing together with the task of taking inventory on a regular basis makes a public warehouse’s job a very important. It serves as the link between the supplier and the customers.

3PL facilities operate on different levels of expertise, depending upon the contract terms, types of clients involved, and customer requirements, among other facets that might possibly act as variants.  There are various types of 3PL, however public warehouses fall under the standard 3 PL type. In a standard facility, logistics is not the central focus. The function of storage is the main concern with the other supply chain elements secondary to the storage components.  The goal of the 3PL is to safely store all goods, while at the same time tracking their present and future inventory levels. This difficult and timely task helps to alleviate the stress from the company’s executives who already have enough on their plates.

In brief, a 3PL is a facility that is committed to serving several companies at one location, thus specializing in their needed steps from storage to distribution. In other words, a 3PL interacts with the participating parties to ensure successful end results.

Warehouses are no longer just for storage. In today's cost-conscious, efficiency-driven environment, many manufacturers are reevaluating their definition of warehousing. Anything that doesn't lend itself to a high-speed, highly mechanized, low-labor environment is being sent to the warehouse.

Driving this evolution is a desire to take links out of the supply chain and make sure that costs are optimized and as close to the customer as possible.

INNOVATIVE WAREHOUSE USES

As a result of this shift, manufacturers are gradually expanding the services they expect from their warehousing providers, seeking ways to increase flexibility, improve inventory control, manage costs, and streamline the supply chain.

Three services, in particular, are drawing considerable interest:

Shared space environment. Companies with dramatic seasonal or promotional fluctuations face unique warehousing challenges. They don't want to invest in space that they can't fill year-round, but they must accommodate business surges. A shared space environment accommodates shipping peaks and valleys by balancing multiple manufacturers' requirements with complementary surges.  

To manage this arrangement, a third-party provider analyzes shippers' space requirements and identifies peak periods of activity. Shippers with peaks at opposite times of the year can be paired in a single facility. For example, a sunscreen manufacturer might be paired with a holiday gift basket company.

The companies' operations are located at opposite ends of the building and ebb and flow toward the middle as required. Both companies are guaranteed additional overflow space, but only pay for the space as they need it. They're able to meet maximum requirements and accommodate business growth without having to invest in permanent space and equipment. Locating the facility in an optimal location also helps minimize transportation costs and maximize responsiveness to customer needs.

Cross-docking. As manufacturers seek ways to move products more efficiently and cost-effectively, many are rediscovering cross-docking -- moving product directly from receiving to shipping with little or no inventory and minimal handling. The process is resurfacing as a way to take costs out of the supply chain, accelerate inventory velocity, and improve service levels.  

While historically used for durable goods, high turn rates and reduced handling make cross-docking an effective solution for everything from perishable products to high-value/high-security goods. The process helps get product to market quickly and economically while reducing the need for warehouse space and inventory carry costs.

Many companies are exploring variations on traditional, "pure" cross-docking, integrating transportation strategies such as consolidation and deconsolidation to maximize savings. For example, a company may receive inbound loads daily but ship out just twice a week, reducing transportation spend while making deliveries that meet end-user requirements.

INVOLVING A 3PL

Many manufacturers are recognizing that 3PLs are often better positioned than their own internal operations to adapt to the expanded warehouse role.

Experienced 3PLs offer convenient facilities with a skilled workforce, state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and established systems and processes for peak performance. Because warehousing, packaging, and transportation operations take place under a single roof, communication and planning improve, helping to ensure performance quality and timeliness. Effective 3PLs also routinely review forecasting, scheduling, processes, equipment and other variables, looking for opportunities for improvement.

Demand for specialized warehouse services will climb for the foreseeable future as manufacturers intensify their focus on core competencies. Fortunately, third-party providers can provide innovative, flexible solutions to help streamline their supply chains, increase flexibility, and better manage costs.

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