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Category Archives: Case Studies

Safety Training Systems, Inc.

The Opportunity
Safety Training Systems is a leading provider of training hardware for the aerospace industry. One thing that sets this particular project apart from the usual flight simulator move is that STS manufactures training solutions for more than just pilot training. This often includes the repurposing of various parts of the airframe, from simulated cabins to train the aircrew, to tail sections and other parts of the aircraft to train maintenance workers. Such is the case for this project, where we were tasked with moving the tail section of a 737 from a salvage facility in the UK to the STS headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma where it will be adapted from partial airplane to an invaluable piece of custom training equipment..

The Execution
As with any large specialty move, the job comes with unique challenges, and due to the size of this tail section, this was certainly no exception. In particular, the move included the tail section in addition to 3 total crates that filled an entire flatbed truck with related components including stabilizers. Beyond the physical move, the PGL team of operators advised on permitting, taxes and customs concerns, allowing for a stress-free turn key logistics experience for STS. More than just transport, PGL replaces the stress of a move like this with peace of mind that the details are taken care of

The Outcome
The end goal for a project of this scale is not just a succesful move. Throughout the process, PGL kept our Safety Training Systems contacts informed every step of the way. This project allowed PGL to flex many of it’s contract logistics muscles, with many more functions available. For international moves, our partnership with The Aerospace Logistics Alliance (TALA) offers the transparency and operational know-how necessary for the task. From project management to successful delivery and everything in between, PGL has the experience to go beyond 3PL with full-service delivery on a global scale.

 

 

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Spirit Engine Charter

Spirit Airlines has built their business on the concept of More Go, making it possible for more people to go more places, more often. To do this, keeping the fleet fit is incredibly important, and any AOG (Aircraft On Ground) situation is approached with the upmost urgency. Thankfully, Spirit Airlines has a long-standing relationship with PGL, where we partner to keep those AOG situations as brief as humanly possible.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Spirit Airlines contacted the PGL Aero Desk in Miami about an aircraft grounded in Guayaquil, Ecuador due to engine failure. This necessitated the acquisition of parts from as far away as Detroit, Michigan to be brought together with the replacement engine from Pratt & Whitney located near DFW Airport in North Texas before being packaged and dlivered to the grounded plane.

Only a few aircraft are large enough to carry the new engine assembly, so along with the logistical concerns of gathering parts and acquiring the necessary permits to land in Ecuador, an appropriately-sized airframe must be located for the move.

Multiple moving parts, oversized freight, emergency permitting and a ticking clock? That’s why we’re here.

THE EXECUTION

To accomplish this engine move, the following actions and timelines were in play:

• Time between first contact and quote: Less than 3 hours
• Agreement drafted and signed: Less than 12 hours
• Antanov AN-12 chartered and loaded, wheels up out of DFW: Less than 24 hours after agreement signature.
• Permits secured between the airport and on-site Spirit Airlines representative in the same 24 hour period

PGL negotiated the grounding of the Anatov AN-12 for 72 hours after delivery, allowing for removal and replacement of the engine, with the damaged engine on the return flight back to DFW for Pratt & Whitney to repair.

THE OUTCOME

PGL provided intelligent solutions that go beyond 3PL. The partnership between Spirit Airlines and PGL has been a shining example of how an AOG condition is handled. With 4 to 5 flights per day, a grounded aircraft represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue in a single day. The PGL Aero Desk exists to mitigate the effects of such a grounding by moving heaven and earth to get that aircraft repaired and back in service as quickly as possible. That effort is made possible by the dedicated operators that not only make it happen, but make it happen fast, so more people can go more places, more often.

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2021 State of the Industry – Supply Chain & Logistics

Tim Gundlach, PGL’s Trade Lane Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, breaks down the 2021 supply chain crisis and how it has affected the global supply chain and logistics industry.

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For more information, call 833-SHIP-PGL

 

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Curative

Innovating Processes and Flexible Scaling Yields Success

PGL is a phenomenal partner and has been instrumental to the logistics success of Curative. PGL has been shoulder to shoulder with Curative during the Covid Pandemic and has been invaluable in Curative’s mission to help defeat Covid.

Dean Shultis
Senior VP Supply Chain

 

Complex problems require custom solutions, and never before has there been such a challenging and rewarding example of this. Curative is a company that was founded only weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and has become instrumental in providing testing kits across the entire United States. Focused on building an agile and scalable infrastructure serving public health concerns, PGL is proud to work with Curative to assemble the testing kits that lead to a safer, healthier country.

PGL Services Implemented

PGL offers highly customizable kitting solutions leading to high-quality conversion and robust reporting.

  • Base Integration Mapping
  • Bill of Materials (BOM) Identification and Implementation
  • Warehouse Management
  • Product Conversion
  • Packaging
  • Labeling
  • Reporting
  • ISO 13485:2016 – Medical devices — Quality management systems
  • FDA Approval
  • CGMP Certification

THE OPPORTUNITY

Amidst a worldwide pandemic, Curative needed to assemble millions of testing kits to be distributed across the country. Speed to market was critical and necessitated not only extensive discovery and planning but the ability to pivot and scale as needs changed.

THE EXECUTION

As with any kitting solution, this project required the development of multiple systems covering logistics, execution and robust reporting. This included integration with the Curative ERP system, identifying the Bill of Materials, warehousing, and most importantly, accuracy and consistancy in Product Conversion with multiple outputs. As part of the Product Conversion process, labeling was implemented, allowing for tracking and traceability of individual components as they entered the system, and the outputs of those Bill of Materials.

Once the kits are assembled, they are transferred to a Quality Control cell, where the QC team follows proper procedures to inspect the completed kits and package them to be sent to the fulfillment center. Throughout the process, frequent inspections are performed to ensure that the project is in compliance with industry standards and government regulations. From the fulfillment center, completed kits are delivered nationwide to distribution centers, ultimately being delivered to drug stores, hospitals and other providers. The initial goal of 25K kits per week has expanded over time to handle 400K-to-600K per week, depending on demand.

THE OUTCOME

  • As of November 1, 2021, 5.5 million kits assembled
  • Peak productivity of 120,000 kits per day
  • Scaled from 30 employees to upwards of 1000 per day. (including scaling up and down based on demand)
  • Managed 20 million barcodes – split into sets of 500 w/ lot number and reporting

PGL has the processes, people, and commitment that leads to excellence in kitting efforts, functioning as an in-house logistics arm for businesses. The powerful combination of our consultative approach to build the best program possible, along with extreme flexibility to adapt to changing needs and reporting that leads to peace of mind that is unparalleled. This formula and our dedicated people are why PGL is a Hyper growth Woman Owned and Operated Freight Management Business.

PGL is Great People, Continuous Improving Prosses, Leading Edge PGL Connect Technology, and Total Focus on customer success.

 

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FlightSafety International

Nothing Ever Goes 100% According to Plan. Make a New Plan.

Working with PGL has meant that of the hundreds of road blocks and things that can go wrong in a flight simulator move, they’ve seen every problem that can arise, and they have the solution.

 

For Flight Simulator Manufacturers, Training Facilities and Logistics Industry Partners, PGL offers full-service flight simulator moves and specialized services to support those moves, delivering peace of mind and the industry’s only On-Site Logistics Strategy Manager service so that you can rest easy, knowing that your Flight Simulator move is being handled by experts with decades of experience.

PGL Services Implemented

For Flight Simulator Manufacturers, Training Facilities and Logistics Industry Partners, PGL offers full-service flight simulator moves and specialized services in support of those moves.

  • Logistics Planning
  • On-Site Management
  • Disassembly
  • Crating
  • Loading
  • Trucking
  • Customs handling
  • Assembly & Installation

THE OPPORTUNITY

FlightSafety International has been an aircraft manufacturer-authorized flight training provider for over seventy years, with learning centers across the United States, and growing across the globe, from London to Tokyo. As an extension of their robust training programs, they have become one of the world’s leading flight simulator designers and manufacturers, culminating with the opening of their new flight simulation training system design, manufacturing, and support facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in 2011. Not only do they produce flight simulators for their own training centers, but they also provide equipment for other training services and airlines.

THE EXECUTION

The key to a successful flight simulator move is in the details. Having the personnel and experience needed to deliver this equipment includes many special accommodations for these sensitive parts. All flight simulator moves start with a detailed bid that covers the steps and expenses to accomplish a move of this nature. PGL focuses on a comprehensive bid that includes the communication and visibility that is so crucial to successful delivery. Crated on-site, the PGL team worked with engineers to ensure legal width and height compliance. The flight simulators are tightly packed, heat wrapped in 32mil poly to prevent moisture intrusion. Leading the charge, was our on-site Program Manager, Shannon Pardue. With 17 years of experience moving 20+ flight simulators annually, his presence on the ground, supervising the unique needs of this type of move is invaluable and makes the difference that you can feel, knowing that a specialist problem solver is there to make it happen.

THE OUTCOME

Aggressive pursuit of not only a safe and successful move but also a timely one. Throughout the process, PGL kept our FlightSafety International contacts informed every step of the way. This project allowed PGL to flex many of it’s contract logistics muscles, with many more functions available. For international moves, our partnership with TALA, The Aerospace Logistics Alliance offers the transparency and peace of mind necessary for the task. Additionally, other specialized logistics including packaging for ocean freight, assistance with customs clearance, and more. From rigging and crating in a controlled airport environment to successful delivery, PGL has the experience to go beyond 3PL with full-service delivery on a global scale.

 

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PGL Kitting Capabilities

For more information, call 833-SHIP-PGL

 

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Flowserve

How a Moving Project Runs Smoothly and Inexpensively

PGL is, and continues to be, an outstanding partner for Flowserve. They are not just a transportation company, but are problem solvers and offer excellent solutions. They go above and beyond to add value where it is needed which is a unique quality in today’s market place.

Rob Lewin
Director of Global Logistics

 

In April 2017, Flowserve decided to close one of its factories in Boston, Massachusetts and move it holdings to a suburb of Mexico City. The Boston holdings included over 18 tons of equipment that Flowserve needed to relocate across the border.

THE OPPORTUNITY
The global economy has created an environment where hard decisions have to be made to keep a company profitable and competitive. These decisions require turn-key solutions that move at the speed of an executive decision. Such was the case in April 2017, when Flowserve decided to close one of its factories in Boston, MA and move its holdings to a suburb of Mexico City. As part of the move, large and heavy CNC machines required transport, which naturally necessitated a high degree of planning sophistication, and the ability to execute flawlessly.

THE EXECUTION

Flowserve budgeted approximately $125,000 for the transport of their equipment, which also eliminating the need for a significant outlay of cash for a new CNC machine. The location transfer was a complex arrangement. PGL located engineers who could dismantle these valuable CNC machines in their original Boston location. The machinery was broken down, rigged for loading via crane, braced on multiple trucks, and housed in a facility with a wide-enough doorway to accommodate its size. PGL simultaneously found a trusted vendor to manufacture the professional protective wrapping needed for transport, which protected the machine from the elements throughout the haul. To ensure seamless crossing at the border, PGL sent a truckload division manager to the Laredo border crossing. Once the trucks were cleared to cross, PGL flew the engineers to Mexico to ensure that the very same team, which had disassembled the equipment, was on-site to reassemble it in the new location.

THE OUTCOME

Over nine-weeks went into the planning, delivery and assembly process, and the machines arrived fully functional. The entire trucking and reassembly project only took two-and-a-half weeks, guaranteeing that the Flowserve manufacturing equipment was off-line for as short a period of time as possible. Considering a transport job of this complexity, distance and difficulty, few organizations would be willing to burden themselves with full liability. PGL accepted all liability and worked closely with 6 different parties to ensure the move was completed with 100% success and satisfaction.

 

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Incipio

How Outsourced Logistics Yielded Substantial Returns

Through our partnership with PGL, we found efficiency we could not have managed ourselves, maintained record margins with minimum retailer penalties, and I could watch it all happen with the convenience of the Connect App.

Jason Mooneyham
Sr Director of Operations, Incipio

 

Complex problems require custom solutions. After trying multiple shipping and logistics providers, the right partner makes all the difference. PGL Connect Technology coupled with decades of experience lead Incipio merchandise to be on time and became more profitable.

THE PROBLEM
Incipio had engaged with other outsourced Logistics Departments before, each failing to maximize the opportunity, leading to use of the wrong mode of transportation and lost profit due to penalties. Providing a valued product is only part of the equation. Keeping retailers supplied is crucial, and PGL knows how to get this done.

THE SOLUTION
Beginning in 2017, PGL was able to augment Incipio infrastructure as well as find new efficiencies. Investigation into their processes revealed that their internal warehousing in Corona California was more a hindrance than help, and the move to use the PGL facility allowed both added capacity as needed, and faster Cross Dock Labeling, an important factor when dealing with retailers. Additionally, this allowed PGL to provide additional value and savings with an Duty
Draw Back program.

PGL SERVICES UTILIZED:

  • West Coast Distribution domestically
  • Daily stop for all domestic freight out of California
  • Weekly Big Box Retailers DC Shipments
  • 1 stop shop solution for the customer
  • Imported product from Hong Kong via Air Freight

SHIPMENT MODES:

  • Air Freight
  • Ocean Freight
  • Cross Dock while Labeling
  • Raw box labeling for each SKU and PO

THE BENEFIT
Incipio was able to realize tangible benefit by reducing penalties from retailers, delivering on time according to their schedules with complete product inventory (On Time In Full) with a monthly savings of $20,000 per month. Making sure that Incipio was in-store on time for their peak season was the highest priority, leading to an astounding 96.5% improvement in OTIF from 28%.

VISIBILITY:

  • Created specific custom labels for each retailers specs
  • Created the delivery appointments to the retailers

PEAK SEASON:

  • 20k Kilos of air freight with 97% on-time
  • 1000+ sku’s
  • Shipment Counts:
    • 120 Shipments a week
    • 42 pallets out every week
  • End Customers delivered to:
    • 30-40 Clients delivered to on a weekly basis
    • Verizon, CVS, Walmart, Best Buy,
    • Telsa, Apple, Voice Com

The Difference Makers:
What factors made the biggest impact for Incipio?

  • PGL Connect app and Control Tower: Full visibility of everything they needed to know in one place
  • Level of service: Dedicated PGL team with single point of contact
  • Industry Expertise: Having intimate knowledge of retailer scheduling and requirements

 

 

 

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NEO Tech

Supply Chain Visibility and Optimization

The PGL solution provides a complete picture of NEO Tech’s end-to-end supply chain in real-time, including all purchase order (PO) and vendors management.

PGL Company Profile
PGL provides intelligent supply chain solutions that go beyond 3PL. With deep industry experience in the consumer electronics industry, our proposed key differentiators are:

  • Control Tower Management
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Robust Carrier Screening
  • KPI Measurements and Reporting
  • Project 44 Implementation
    • Real-Time Tracking
    • Predictive Arrival Times
    • Push Notifications
    • Event Management
    • Time-Based Geo-Fencing

Current Technology Customers:
TracFone, NEO Tech, Insight, AVID, and several undisclosed large F500 companies

Supply Chain Visibility

THE OPPORTUNITY
Over the course of PGL’s eight year relationship with NEO Tech, this high-tech company has successfully optimized their “lowest total cost” model, which is one of their most important initiatives.

NEO Tech first approached PGL to address a number of key issues in their supply chain, including visibility and on-time delivery. Punctual delivery in an economic fashion was Paramount. In order to remain very competitive, NEO Tech focused on its supply chain. With extremely efficient processes, PGL clearly became their first choice and pr eferred logistics partner in getting the job done on time, every time.

THE EXECUTION
PGL developed a system that was able to connect with NEO Tech’s purchase order system and simultaneously, we were able to evaluate lead times. With PGL Connect, Neo Tech management was able to review all orders and decide how to effectively transport each item, with a clear focus on consolidating shipments in their China hubs, at the lowest cost possible. In addition to centralized freight from their over two dozen vendors overseas, they also reduced documentation and customs fees with this unified procedure resulting in reduced number of custom entries.

Additionally, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains, PGL was able to leverage its operational flexibility and Global Enterprise relationship with DHL Express. A shift from traditional airfreight (that was experiencing unprecedented cost increases and space shortages) to small pack services, ultimately led to decreased delivery time, increased on-time performance, and reduced overall expense on Air Cargo.

THE OUTCOME
PGL was able to increase visibility of NEO Tech’s supply chain and purchase ordering system, while giving real-time updates of the status of each PO. PGL’s proactive problem solving style coupled with flexibility, allowed NEO Tech to save costs by consolidating shipments, documentation and custom clearance entries.

 

 

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Pier 1

How Outsourced Logistics Yielded Substantial Returns

It has been a truly phenomenal experience to work with PGL as our preferred logistics provider from the very beginning. They have been able to signicantly reduce cost, cut numerous ineciencies out of our processes and raise the quality of our supply chain performance at the same time

A net savings of over $20,000 in the last 25 weeks of implementation. Average trans-load freight costs have been cut in half with PGL’s facility. PGL has moved over 27,000 CBMs year-to-date for Pier 1.

THE OPPORTUNITY
With their shipping costs expected to rise within the next year, retail home furnishings giant Pier 1 imports reached out to PGL to start a dialogue about creating a cost-containment strategy for both short and mid-term fluctuations in the market. Pier 1 identified financial advantages to outsourcing the bulk of the supply chain responsibilities to a logistics service provider and confirmed the efficiencies a strategic logistics partnership could create.

In the modern world of retail, efficiencies are everything. Flubbed product releases can create a lack of trust between store locations and the corporate office. Furthermore, without the staff and software to coordinate arrivals and breakdowns at their distribution centers, local freight carriers continued to fall behind, creating long wait times and additional container storage charges. Pier 1 imports needed a dedicated transportation specialist to alleviate the confusion and get their products to the shelves — on time, and in one piece.

THE EXECUTION
To gain a better picture of Pier 1’s transportation and logistics needs, PGL implemented a software and reporting protocol to survey the effectiveness of their current operations. What PGL found was that Pier 1 had been using a number of LTL (less than truckload) carriers as a preferred method of transportation. While this method works for individual pallets, it is often cost-prohibitive when moving large quantities of goods.

In the spirit of the partnership, PGL placed a highly experienced employee on-site at Pier 1, who understood their needs and could simultaneously match those needs with the core competencies of PGL. PGL saw the need for their own distribution center to aid Pier 1 in overflow issues within their DC network. To relieve inventory congestion, a 90,000 sq ft. warehouse was added under PGL to support the expanded footprint. Finally, all warehouse management and billing were consolidated under PGL’s supervision for greater transparency and more consistent Oversight.

THE OUTCOME
The fully integrated software led to substantial ease-of-use when planning Pier 1’s future inventory needs. Face-to-face interaction with PGL’s in-house logistics expert contributed to more immediate problem-solving. The separation of 27,000 CBMs from Pier 1 to a PGL distribution center relaxed that troublesome backup that accounted for late product releases in their previous mode of operation. The disconnect accounted for a significant number of detention charges. PGL created efficiencies for Pier 1’s operational network while also cutting their average transload freight costs in half!

PGL reduced Pier 1’s spend drastically in year 1 and has significantly improved in this performance since. Pier 1’s objective of reducing the bottleneck at their distribution facilities and creating overall efficiencies, while reducing spend, was achieved. The partnership between Pier 1 and PGL created a synergy where PGL has become part of Pier 1’s DNA and is viewed as Pier 1’s go-to for all their logistics needs.

 

 

 

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Spirit Airlines

A Partnership Aimed at Consolidated Services

PGL custom-built a proprietary app that mirrors the departures and arrival boards seen at airports, but this app tracks parts shipments for status and location.

The PGL solution provides a complete picture of Spirit’s end-to-end supply chain, in real-time, including where parts and the personnel tasked with repairing them are at any given time.

THE OPPORTUNITY
Over the course of PGL’s five-year relationship with Spirit Airlines, this high-profile company has taken its “lowest total cost” model very seriously. When Spirit approached PGL to resolve a number of key issues in their repair and refurbishment processes, they knew on-time delivery was paramount. Equally, important was ensuring delivery in an economical fashion. Warehousing aircraft parts are notoriously expensive, and requires storage in a highly efficient and cost-effective manner. The entire airline industry is highly regulated, where specific protocols must be met to satisfy federal agency requirements.

Warehousing isn’t the only major cost burden to airlines. An inoperable aircraft could cost Spirit upwards of $100,000 an hour. With potential significant losses at stake, Spirit knew that in order to remain competitive, their supply chain provider had to have extremely high responsiveness. They also required 24-hour operations and a team of knowledgeable and dedicated experts. PGL was their first choice to get the job done. Spirit Airlines used an internal inventory department, as well as multiple vendors, who had trouble coordinating with each other. Lack of visibility created oversight problems and Slow-downs.

PGL’s goal was to consolidate vendors, streamline communication and reduce Spirit’s overall spend.

THE EXECUTION
The cost of warehousing needed to be reduced. Operating in tandem, Spirit Airlines, and PGL created facilities in Miami to house new parts. Warehousing older parts would be handled by PGL in Los Angeles (LAX) to ensure our geographical footprint matched the needs of Spirit’s business model. Additional locations in Detroit and San Juan, PR were established by PGL to match the reach of Spirit’s network.

PGL took on all storage transfers, unifying the operations of receiving, warehousing, pick-and-pack, shipping, and billing. To coordinate all of these new operational elements, PGL custom-built a proprietary tracking application that tracks parts shipments for status and location. The custom solution allows for tremendous ease-of-use, providing Spirit with visibility into the location of parts and the personnel tasked with repairing them at any given time.

THE OUTCOME
PGL continues to serve as Spirit Airline’s premier provider for high-value, time-sensitive maintenance and repair operations. PGL handles approximately 90% of Spirit’s global supply chain. PGL’s 24/7 desk communicates with Airbus in Germany to place orders locally with a 3 am close time. The desk creates a turnaround time of next day or up to 48 hours later. From an administrative standpoint, invoices are now handled by a single point of contact, which makes payments substantially easier and requires fewer man-hours spent by the company.

On-time deliveries now exceed the 98% mark, while simultaneously contributing a significant reduction to Spirit’s overall spend.

 

 

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PGL Transports Flight Simulator from Airport to Airport

Nothing exemplifies the challenges involved in the shipping and logistics of large, sensitive equipment better than the crating and delivery of aircraft simulators. All flight simulator moves start with a detailed bid that covers the steps and expenses necessary to accomplish a move of this nature. The extensive experience that PGL has in moving this type of equipment leads to a comprehensive bid that includes the communication and visibility that is so crucial to successful delivery. Once on the job, PGL can supply the rigging equipment to the site along with the operators and credentials necessary to perform in a controlled environment for the crating and loading processes. Crating begins with engineer consultation to create a fully-customized solution that is unique for each aircraft. Special attention is paid to load limitations for both width and height, as well as accommodations for these sensitive parts. Everything is tightly packed to avoid shifting, and heat wrapped in a 32 mil poly to prevent moisture intrusion. Everything is tarped rail-to-rail with no exposed marine wrap to keep the avionics safe. Throughout the process, PGL keeps you informed every step of the way. For international moves, our partnership with TALA, The Aerospace Logistics Alliance, offers the transparency and peace of mind necessary for the task. From rigging and crating in a controlled airport environment, to successful delivery, PGL has the experience to go beyond 3PL with full-service delivery on a global scale.

For more information, call 833 Ship PGL

 

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