Stord won the logistics category of Atlanta Inno's Fire Awards.
This startup has a cloud-based supply chain management software and logistics network that helps companies deliver products more efficiently. The startup reached a $1.1 billion valuation this month and bought Fulfillment Works and Cove Logistics in the past two years.
Here's a Q&A with CEO Sean Henry.
Q: How are your company’s innovations changing your industry’s landscape?
A: Today’s supply chain infrastructure and software tools haven’t evolved to meet the customer expectations set by Amazon Prime. A patchwork of disconnected 3PLs creates a logistics network that is inflexible, expensive and opaque. And the result is slower shipments, higher prices and unhappy customers. Stord’s solution connects the logistics pieces that businesses need along with the necessary software to manage and optimize the supply chain from end-to-end. Our mission is to make world-class logistics accessible for all, so companies can compete and grow with dynamic, intelligent supply chains.
Q: What’s your advice to future and current entrepreneurs?
A: First, identify a problem that is causing real pain, a real inefficiency that is holding back progress. You don’t want to be a Band-Aid. Second, make sure you get to the root of the problem with your solution.
Too often, I see companies get caught up in addressing the symptoms of a problem rather than solving the core issue. We see this often in logistics. Businesses want to connect all of their disparate systems to one another — which we can do — but what happens once we’re done? They still have to rely on many different sources for data and the “problem” is only solved for their setup today. They’ll be right back where they started as soon as they add a new system or new partner to their mix. That’s why we built our platform to be a single source for businesses to manage their entire supply chain and a single integration that gives them the flexibility to add new logistics services and new tools rapidly without worrying about the next integration. Stord is a long-term solution that gets to the root of the problem and solves it for good.
Q: What’s been the biggest roadblock in your growth and how did you overcome it?
A: Being a founder of a challenger company coming into a legacy space, there have certainly been some innate challenges. I quickly surrounded myself with an incredible team with deep industry experience. Hiring top talent has been a critical component of Stord’s growth, and I feel fortunate every day that I get to work with some of the best minds in the industry.
What drives me to overcome obstacles is my deep passion for this company we’ve built and the problem that we solve for our customers. Every day I strive to overdeliver for my clients and teams. We’re just getting started.
Atlanta Inno's Fire Awards 2021
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