Milwaukee logistics startup doubling warehouse space and staff

Fast-growing Milwaukee startup Atomix Logistics LLC is doubling the size of its current facility with a move to a 60,000-square-foot warehouse near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. It also said it plans to double the size of its team.

The startup, which provides customized shipping fulfillment for online businesses, currently occupies 30,000 square feet at 2203 W. Michigan St. on Milwaukee's near west side that it moved into in December 2021. Starting Aug. 1 it will move to Cudahy, where it's leasing double that footprint at 5235 International Drive.

Additionally, Atomix currently has more than 30 employees and plans to double its team by 2024. It's hiring for roles in operations, technology engineering and development, and customer success, Atomix Logistics founder and CEO Austin Kreinz said.

Atomix creates micro-warehouses within its facility, allowing its more than 120 customers to have a "warehouse-in-a-warehouse" managed by a dedicated Atomix pod manager. Its software integrates with its customers' e-commerce platforms and helps them find the lowest-cost shipping carriers.

The company has been improving its technology, which also helps guide employees through the fulfillment process. A recent update enables customers to further customize orders. For a client that sells chocolate, for instance, Atomix's system determines the number of ice packs needed for shipping based on the temperature in the package's final destination, Kreinz said.

"A big thing for us is just customizing that experience," Kreinz said.

Local Atomix customers include glowmke, which sells Milwaukee-themed neon signs. Other customers include Alice, which makes mushroom chocolates designed to help with energy and sleep; Australia-based cosmetics retailer Brow Code; and Freja, a New York company that makes vegan leather purses.

Atomix's team expansion will include at least 15 new full-time hires, as well as additional seasonal hires during the winter holidays, Kreinz said. Around 40% of the company's business occurs in the fourth quarter, he said.

Founded in 2019, Atomix was born from the long-standing Milwaukee firm CS Logistics Inc.

Atomix Logistics was one of Wisconsin Inno's 2023 startups to watch. It's on track to hit $7 million in revenue for 2023, several times more than its 2022 total revenue, Kreinz said.