Dan Guenther, Regional Vice President of Sales, tells us about Echo Global Logistics, a transportation management provider.
Tell us about your organization and its work in the Dallas Region.
From the shoes you wear to the food you buy at the grocery story, everything you own was once transported on a truck. Transportation is a huge part of the US economy — and for businesses, being able to ship their products efficiently and cost-effectively is crucial.
That’s where Echo comes in. Echo Global Logistics is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, which means we connect businesses that need to ship products with a huge network of carriers that transport them. Employing nearly 2,500 people nationwide and more than 100 in Dallas, Echo provides transportation management services to more than 200 companies in the Dallas Region and many more nationally.
How does your company help other businesses become more effective through digital solutions?
Our purpose is to simplify transportation management for our clients. We do this through proprietary technology, which not only helps us match the ideal carrier to each shipment (based on a variety of criteria) but also allows our logistics professionals to pinpoint inefficiencies in our clients’ supply chains. We then help them implement improvements on a continual basis. We also handle crucial tasks so our clients can focus on what they do best, meaning we take complicated or time-consuming logistics tasks off their hands and allow them to focus on their business.
What differentiates Echo from other companies in your industry?
What differentiates Echo is our service. We pride ourselves on being an easy company to do business with, and we make communication our priority. Between traffic, weather and loading/unloading delays, not every shipment goes smoothly — but Echo representatives are empowered to make decisions and act quickly. We proactively communicate with clients and offer solutions to any issues.
Our multimodal services are also a big differentiator. We have extensive sourcing capabilities that ensure our clients always have the capacity they need. This, combined with our proprietary technology and real-time tracking, has made Echo the premier 3PL. We were voted the No. 1 3PL in 2017 by readers of Inbound Logistics magazine.
What do you enjoy most about doing business in Dallas?
Dallas fosters an extensive network of industry-leading companies, which offers partnership opportunities for a B2B company such as Echo to come in, help large companies find efficiencies in their supply chain, and receive the kind of service and communication they may not be able to find elsewhere. There is also a lot of potential in Dallas, and we really enjoy using our expertise and technology to help small to midsize companies grow their business and become leaders in their industries.
We are also impressed by how Dallas attracts diverse talent from across the country as well as grows it locally. It’s a unique marketplace, and the future looks bright in terms of growth.
Why did you decide to become a DRC member?
We joined the DRC to increase awareness with our fellow Dallas companies that Echo can help simplify their transportation management, make their supply chains more efficient, and turn transportation from a cost-center into a competitive advantage. We also want to ensure Echo is one of the best companies to both do business with and work for in Dallas.
How has your business changed in the last five years?
Over the past five years, our business has grown significantly and our staff has doubled in size. That’s due to our culture, commitment to service, multimodal offering and the strength of our technology. Dallas has been a huge part of our growth. We’ve never been more connected to the community, and we’re excited to be a part of Dallas’ future.